The Annie Tyler Diaries
by Elfinium
Summary: DI Alex Drake is searching for the truth about Sam Tyler. Unable to find Annie she stumbles upon her diaries up to 1980. Will this provide the insight she's been looking for... and the answer to get home? Pure Sam/Annie.
1. The Proposal

DI. Alex Drake slammed her desk drawer shut. She was furious. The files, the jacket, and the one link she had to Sam Tyler, it had all been destroyed. At every turn she was thwarted by that… that… Neanderthal… Gene Hunt.

She'd finally managed to get him to talk about Sam Tyler. Gene said his friend had been acting odd and for Sam Tyler that was very odd indeed. Gene had sat there and told her to her face he had helped a colleague fake his own death. No body was every found, still, it didn't quite fit together. Alex knew Sam had been happy here. Jackie Queen, the journalist, confirmed how loved and respected the man had been, and that he was blissfully married to his girlfriend Annie, apparently the love of his life. So why would the Guv need to help him disappear. There had to be an explanation and Alex knew just the person, probably the only person, who would be able to help her.

The drive to Manchester had been wet. More rain than Alex thought she had ever seen. There would be hell to pay when Gene found out where she'd gone. He'd stiffened noticeably when she'd mentioned Annie. There was a strange glint in his eye that Alex couldn't quite identify.

"The poor cow lost her husband, she's suffered enough, leave her the hell alone Bolly… that's not a request."

And yet here she was driving through the pouring rain to find Annie Tyler, she just hoped it would be worth it.

The house was obviously under renovation. Alex pulled over to the side of the road. This didn't look promising. She got out of the car and crossed the street drawing the attention of the builders. One of them visibly inhaled through his teeth, he looked to be in charge.

"Can I help you love?" He said hopefully. His smile of interest fading as she showed her warrant card.

"DI Drake. I'm looking for a woman who used to live here, one Annie Tyler?"

The builder inhaled again although this time it was a different mood. "Tyler… Tyler? No, tenants come and go."

Alex sighed. "Any chance you know where Annie Tyler moved to? A forwarding address maybe?"

"Na, done a flit is what I heard…" He made the same funny hissing sound. "You said you're the police yeah?"

Alex nodded.

"Might have something for you though." He disappeared into the house.

Alex stood awkwardly on the driveway all the while feeling the other builders' eyes on her. She turned suddenly catching them staring. Her brilliant smile was enough to make them avert their eyes and return to work.

The foreman returned with a pile of dusty books. "Found these under the floorboards in the front room…" He held them out to her before adding, "Dry rot."

"I'm sorry?" Alex said confused as she took the pile.

"In the front room, dry rot in the floorboards otherwise we never would of found 'em."

Opening the cover of the first one there was an inscription written in a neat female hand.

_'This is the diary of Annie Tyler."_

* * *

><p>Alex could barely contain her excitement as she drove back towards London. Ok so she hadn't managed to speak to Annie, but that also meant she hadn't technically disobeyed Gene, she had the next best thing. Just a quick glance had shown these diaries went right up to 1980… when Sam disappeared. There had to be a clue, this would give her an insight into their lives, and possibly the way home.<p>

Stopping for a coffee on route Alex couldn't resist. She picked up a book at random. It opened onto an obviously well thumbed page, clearly Annie liked to read her own work.

_February 12__th__ 1975_

_I am so excited I feel like I am going to burst and I can't wipe the smile off my face. Today Sam asked me to marry him._

Alex smiled. There was a part of her that felt bad for the intrusion into this womans' private thoughts, but on the other hand…

_Of course, he couldn't take me to a restaurant and get down on one knee like an ordinary bloke could he? If there is a crazy way to do something Sam is going to do it._

_We were at the railway bridge. The Guv, Sam, Ray and Chris had a gang of armed robbers pinned down under the arches. They were pretty set in and I was trying to call for back up. The radio just would not work. Whatever I tried I was just picking up static. I crouched behind the Cortina trying to get the thing going when Sam skidded round the bonnet and landed beside me._

"_Any luck on that radio Annie?" He asked, peering back at the Guv who was taking random shots at the brickwork. I can still see him. Sam in action. Hair slightly messed up, gun in hand… very sexy. _

_I couldn't believe I was thinking those things… in the middle of a gun fight. 'I'm doing my best,' I snapped at him more annoyed with myself. I had no idea what I was actually doing. I thumped the stupid radio and it suddenly crackled into life._

_He grinned at me then, as though a sudden thought occurred to him._

"_You, Annie Cartwright are amazing! Marry me."_

_I honestly nearly fell over. "What?" I said, but I could hardly hear myself._

"_Marry me." He was serious; I could see it in his eyes. I didn't know what to say._

"_Ethel!" The Guv screamed. "You and that plonk better not be playing footsie over there, we need that bloody back up… now!"_

_Sam rolled his eyes then. "Think about it." He said with a grin and he was gone._

_Later as Chris and Ray were loading the last of the robbers into the Black Maria, I caught Sams' arm. He looked at me questioningly. _

"_Yes." I whispered._

_The most enormous smile took over his face as he hugged me. _

"_Put her down Tyler, you don't know where she's been." The Guv snapped lighting a fag._

_But Sam didn't stop grinning, neither could I._

"_You look like a pair of bloody idiots." The Guv growled. "I expect a bird to go around grinning like a loon, but you Tyler, you look like a right soppy jessy. What's got into you?"_

_Sam gave me a quick glance then continued to grin at the DCI. "I'm getting married."_

_I'll never forget the pride in his voice, that's the only way to describe it._

_The Guv put his arm around Sam then, squeezing his shoulder. "Right then, down the pub… you can buy me lots of whisky while I talk you out of it."_


	2. A Scarlet Woman?

Alex smiled all the way back along the motorway. "I **bet** you tried to talk him out of it Gene." With her knowledge of 1980's Gene, Alex could imagine the Guvs' own home life had been far from blissful.

Back in her flat Alex tried to sort the diaries into some kind of order. The temptation was to jump straight to the end, but somehow she felt she needed the whole story. What was life like for a woman in Genes' team in the 1970's? She could only imagine that Annie Tyler must have been one hell of a tough cookie. Flicking back from the story of the proposal Alex noticed a rather long entry, after reading the first few lines she was intrigued.

_January 6__th__ 1975_

_What a day! I know January is always depressing and quiet. Most of the drunks have run out of post Christmas cash and even the serious gangs seem to be laying low digesting their plum puddings. Coppers get bored if there isn't enough to do. I just wasn't expecting the hornets' nest that was stirred up today._

_I walked into work with Sam as usual. These days he seems to stay at my flat most of the time. It had been a gradual thing. Looking at the rat hole he lives in it is hardly surprising he stays with me. That was what I told myself anyway. It was nothing to do with the fact that I couldn't sleep when he wasn't there, or that the very thought of the way he touched me could turn my knees to jelly. I'm blushing now just thinking about it. Of course I had been with other blokes and we'd talk about stuff, just us girls, but most of them seemed to think getting you in the mood was buying you a dubonnet and lemonade and telling you to get your knickers off. It wasn't like that with Sam. Sometimes I could swear he knew my body better than I knew it myself._

_So back to this morning before my ears catch fire. With a quick 'Morning' to Phyllis Sam ran up the stairs to CID. For some reason Phyllis seemed a little more off than normal. _

"_You ok Phyllis?" I asked. She took a long draw from her fag, coughing slightly. She picked a bit of tobacco out of her teeth. "Nothing wrong with me." She said coolly before returning to her paperwork. _

_I didn't quite understand, but I thought I'd let her get on with it. I went to the canteen for a cup of tea and caught up with a couple of uniform girls._

_As I was helping myself out of the urn I stifled a yawn._

"_Perhaps you should try getting some sleep at night." Mary said winking at Jane._

"_What's that supposed to mean?" I asked._

_They just grinned at each other. "What's it like in CID then Annie? Is it ful-filling?"_

_There was something in the way she said it, but before I could say anything they'd both walked away whispering to each other._

_Phyllis would know what was going on. I decided to take her a cup of tea and see if I could find out. Ever the detective eh Cartwright?_

* * *

><p><em>Putting the tea down by Phyllis' elbow, I thought I would ask her outright.<em>

"_What is the problem Phyllis?"_

_She squinted at me through exhaled smoke, her eyes darting to the tea then back to me._

"_So you can stand a spoon up in it, just the way you like it." I said smiling at her._

_She watched me for a moment. Taking a final drag she crushed the cigarette in the ashtray._

"_You living over't brush with DI Tyler?"_

_I felt as though someone had struck me. The guilt must have been written all over my face._

"_What? No!"_

"_You mark my works Annie luv. No bloke is going to want to buy the cow if he's getting the milk for free."_

"_So that's what you all think."_

"_Doesn't matter what I think luv. It's what you think. Bit convenient you got your promotion and then suddenly there's you leaving the pub with the DI and coming into work with him. Don't have to be a detective constable to work that one out."_

_I must have stood there like a goldfish for a good few minutes._

"_We spend time together." I'd gasped. "I wasn't promoted because… because of that!"_

"_That's not the way it looks Annie luv. Look, I know what it's like…" She took an unfiltered cigarette out of the packet and lit it. "I was young once. He's a good looking lad. Bit frayed around the edges for my liking but a decent copper and a charmer, I can see how he'd turn a girls' head…"_

_I was trying not to let the tears well up in my eyes. Running into the ladies I looked in the mirror. Sam wouldn't have said anything to anyone, of course he wouldn't, it was all in their minds, they had filthy minds…_

_My reflection stared back at me. It isn't in their minds though is it? They're right. I am sleeping with Sam, and what makes it worse is that it should make me ashamed and it doesn't. Me mam would have a fit! Sam loves me and god help me I love him. If he had wanted us to live together I would have said yes like a shot. But Sam wouldn't ask me because he knows it would damage my reputation. 'Fat lot of good that's done." I told myself, nobody gossips like coppers._

_Washing my face I prepared to go upstairs to face the music. If the talk was all over the station I dreaded to think what would happen when I finally got into the CID office. At the top of the stairs I could hear the Guv shouting._

"_This a private punch up ladies or can anyone join in?" _

_I opened the door to see Ray being held back by Chris and Sam, my Sam held by his collar in the Guv's firm grip. Rays' nose was bleeding and Sam had a cut to his eye._

"_Disagreement over procedures Guv." Sam said as the DCI let him go._

"_Yeah, promotional procedures." Ray said, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his nose._

"_I see, well its good to have a healthy debate, clears the air." The Guv said clapping his hands. He turned to me. "Ah Cartwright, good of you to join us. Right you lot." He turned to the assembled officers thankfully ignoring me. "We have to go and have a little word with Jimmy the fence. Seems he has been moving some shooters into the hands of a nasty little gang without my express permission. Tyler, Cartwright, you're with me. Rest of you try and get some bloody work done!"_

* * *

><p><em>Sam didn't say anything at all in the car, he just stared straight ahead. Mind you we were both holding on for grim death. The Guv nearly took out two old ladies and a crocodile of schoolchildren. <em>

"_Shouldn't have been in the bleedin road, should've heard me coming." _

_Sam didn't even comment. I saw the Guv give him a strange sideways look._

_When the Cortina finally came to a juddering stop Gene Hunt jumped out of the car. I touched Sams' sleeve before he could leave._

"_Are you all right Sam?" I asked him quietly as the DCI bounded up the steps. _

"_Come on Dorothy! Cartwright you stay with the car make sure the little scrote doesn't nip out the back way, if he does 'it him with your 'andbag." _

_Sam smiled at me but it didn't quite reach all the way to his eyes. "Yeah I'm ok Annie. You know how me and Ray love to 'debate'." He kissed me briefly on the cheek and followed the Guv into the club. I couldn't help get the feeling that the fight had been something to do with me._

_Jimmy the fence didn't get as far as meeting my handbag. I sat in the car chewing my bottom lip wondering what on earth I was going to do. Did this mean Sam wouldn't want to be with me any more? I didn't think I could bear that, they could talk all they liked but what if... what if that **was** why I had been promoted?_

"You're doubting yourself Annie." Alex said out loud. "You were a good copper, a pioneer for women in the force and this is how they made you feel." At that moment DI Drake could have quite happily slapped the lot of them, including Sam.

_The Guv returned cracking his knuckles, Sam followed behind shaking his head. I could imagine how the 'interview' had gone._

_Back at the station Sam squeezed my hand before returning to CID._

"_Cartwright… assemble the troops." DCI Hunt snapped before striding into his office and slamming the door._

* * *

><p><em>We all squeezed in CID. Some leaning on desks or filing cabinets waiting for whatever bollocking was about to come. There was nothing going on so none of us had a clue.<em>

_The Guv strode out of his office and took a position behind the first desk he came to. _

"_Right then you lot. There appears to be some confusion as to who is actually running this department. Some of you seem to be under the impression it is actually DI Tyler. I noticed Sam standing with his arms folded, defiant, he didn't break the Guvs' gaze._

_Hunt paused to see the reaction on the assembled faces. He thumped the desk in front of him with both hands and leaned forward. His tone was lower but somehow far more ominous._

"_Let me remind you who is the head honcho around here, the sheriff, the big cheese, the one who makes the bleeding decisions. If there is anyone to be promoted to CID then it would be me doing the promoting. I gave Detective Constable Cartwright her position because there has been more than one occasion when she has shown more bollocks than the bloody fairy lot of you put together, not because anyone had any desire to get into her Sunday frillies. If she and Tyler want to play hide the sausage in their own free time then that is up to them, but I will not…" He thumped the desk again making several WPCs jump. "I will not have it affecting my team. It's the quiet season, before long there are going to be lots of 'orrible villains who think they can take over my city. I think we ought to spend our time being one step ahead of 'em not whispering like a bunch of old women. Do I make myself absolutely clear?"_

_There were several embarrassed yes Guvs. To be honest I could have quite happily had a hole open up and swallow me there and then_.

Alex laughed out loud; she could just imagine Gene in full flow, protecting his team even from its own internal politics. She looked down at the entry. There was an addendum squeezed into the bottom of the page.

_Sam is fast asleep in our bed. He looks so peaceful, so at home. In the pub there was the normal amount of ribbing you'd expect but at least it's all out in the open. In that office I could have killed the Guv but kissed him at the same time, I needed a drink after that! As usual Sam walked me home. I could see he hesitated when I asked him in, but I had to say what was on my mind – it may have been something to do with the two port and lemons Phyllis bought me – but I said it anyway. 'Please don't abandon me.'_

_He'd held my face in his hands, his concerned green eyes staring into mine. "Annie, I will never abandon you."_

_And I believe him._


	3. The Letter

**A/N Ok People. You've had a double helping of fluffy stuff and the very silly DI Hunt. Now time to dilute it with a little angst. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>DI Drake stared at the page. "But you did abandon her Sam." She said. "If Gene is to be believed, you left her behind, you pretended to die. Why would you do that? Unless there is something more to your disappearance?<p>

Alex began to flip through the remaining pages for 1975. There was nothing of any great interest. The majority seemed to be related to Annie and Sams' wedding. It seems Annie had been a demon organiser. Sighing Alex picked up the diary marked 1976. She took a sip from her wine glass and opened the book. From between the pages fell a sheet of paper. Putting down the diary she unfolded it. This was in a different handwriting, much more masculine and on a Manchester and Salford constabulary letterhead.

_4th May 1976_

_My dearest Annie,_

_I'm sorry. _

_I had to get it out even if you're not here to tell in person, I am so desperately sorry. I am to blame for what's happened. No-one else, the fault lies with me. I was arrogant, and I made mistakes and because of that, you're gone._

_I have to believe that you will get to read this letter because if you don't there is no point in anything. _

_Gene of course believes the solution to everything lies at the bottom of a whisky glass. I'm dragged to the pub and I watch him down glass after glass while I sip on my one. But I don't need alcohol; there isn't enough on the planet to drown this horrible ache inside me. What I need is to stay sharp, to stay focussed, I need to find you._

_I go back to your flat. I know you wont mind. It helps me to be closer to you. The smell of your perfume, your things... it's something to hold on to._

_He's watching me carefully Annie, I can feel it. Gene, he's judging my reactions, if I am capable of conducting this investigation, in a fit state of mind. He wants to go in guns blazing, following his gut, but this is too important to mess up. Do you remember I told you about before I came back? I was in the other place. I know you don't like me to talk about it but this is my letter. I was home, in 2006, I should have been happy, I should have been jumping for joy, but I wasn't, I couldn't feel anything, I wasn't alive… without you._

_I would give anything to feel that way right now. So I can be the dispassionate copper, think clearly and do my job. When I think of what you must be going through I feel like my insides are being run through a mincer._

_I relive our last conversation through my head again and again. _

_The Martin case was personal, or it had become so. When Jackie came to me with information about a trade in sex trafficking you could almost hear the rest of them salivating. A nice juicy sex case, just what they needed to get their teeth into. _

_She's a journalist Annie, an investigator like us, and she saw a story to get her out of the Manchester chronicle and into the nationals. We were working together, that was it. I swear to you. She's a friend, as if I could ever really notice any other woman except you. But I was too wrapped up in the case to deal with your anger. I expected you to trust me, so I was angry too._

_We were getting too close Annie that was the problem. We were asking all the right questions to all the right people, unravelling the trail of evidence that would lead to the top. We were nearly there, until I got that phone call. _

"_DI Tyler? If you want to see your girlfriend alive I would strongly suggest you leave your present line of enquiry."_

_The voice had been clipped. No accent to speak of, no emotion just straight forward demands._

"_Who is this?" I'd asked._

"_Just leave well alone and we will return her to you." The phone had gone dead. _

_I called the operator for the number but when I rang back it was a public telephone box. _

_I didn't know what to think. You were there, in front of me, absorbed in paperwork. You must have felt me staring because you looked up and smiled. That smile always made my heart melt._

_I walked over to your desk. "Hey!"_

"_Hey."_

_You'd been a little distant since this whole fiasco started. I put it down to pre wedding stress, work, life. I didn't want to think what it was really about. You were jealous of all the time I was spending with Jackie. I can understand that… now. The evening stake outs, too tired to do anything other than collapse into my horrible metal fold down bed. I can imagine what you must have thought. You wanted to be supportive, you wanted to trust me… but you were jealous, and I let you be._

"_Anything interesting?"_

_You made a face, that adorable crinkle of your nose. "No. Robbery of a corner shop. Not exactly the crime of the century. You need some help?"_

_I tapped my pen against my chin. "I have had the oddest phone call."_

_You rolled your eyes then. "Everything that ever happens to you is odd Sam. Why can't you just have normal conversations like the rest of us?"_

"_Have you noticed anything unusual, anyone following you?" I didn't want to frighten you. My instinct was just to protect you, at that moment I didn't want to let you out of my sight._

"_Why would anyone be following me?" You'd laughed. "Perhaps if someone was I'd have a second opinion on the flowers. You haven't been around much lately?"_

_I'd felt the sting in your words. It was true, I hadn't, I'd been with Jackie…It was then it hit me._

"_Jackie!" I blurted it out before I even knew my mouth was engaged._

_I saw your face cloud over. "Can we at least have one conversation where that woman doesn't come into it?"_

"_You don't understand. They've got Jackie! They think she's my girlfriend!"_

_I could have bitten the words back. The look of hurt in your eyes. "And why would they think that?" Each word was filled with ice._

"_I don't know, but the Martins have her. I'm convinced of it."_

"_Best you go rescue her then, be her knight in shining armour…" You'd got up from your desk, tapping files into order. _

"_Annie… don't be like that." _

_I'd followed you into the corridor. "She could be in real danger?"_

"_And you could be in real danger of remaining single!" The fire in your eyes, this had obviously been building up for a while. You took a deep breath. "You have a job to do Sam." Your voice was controlled. "If she is in trouble then you need to save her. We'll talk later."_

_I moved to kiss your cheek, but you shied away. You didn't want me to touch you. I couldn't do anything but watch you walk down the corridor._

_How I wish I hadn't. They were going to realise their mistake and I didn't know you were going to take a walk outside the safety of the station. I know you're a copper Annie, and I've told you so many times, you're a damn good one. You didn't want me to wrap you up in cotton wool. You can do the job as well as any bloke, better than some of them, but I should have protected you. If I could take back that moment I would have handcuffed you to me. I would have locked you in the tallest tower and killed anyone who dared to come near because you are so precious to me, my dearest sweetest Annie. I would have told you that I love you more than I have loved anything in my entire life and that I can't live without you._

_I would have told you that I'm sorry._

_When I find you I will let you read this letter. I will make them pay if they have harmed one hair on your head. Oh my god, I'm turning into Gene Hunt! You see the effect you have on me, you have to come back and save me._

_I will even take an interest in the flowers. _

_When I find you._

_All my love, always… _

_Sam. x_


	4. Kidnapped pt 1

Alex re read the letter. Her mouth felt dry. Taking a large gulp of wine she reached for the discarded diary. Flicking quickly through the pages to May she found several days when there had been no entry at all.

Reading back there had been a sight change in Annies' tone, almost as if she was desperately trying to be bright and positive, not wanting to acknowledge her fears. There was talk of the wedding. Apparently Sam wasn't exactly being helpful.

_1__st__ May 1976_

_Sam didn't come home again last night. He said he was working late. Not wanting to wake me, he went back to his bed-sit. I've been trying to get the flowers arranged but I ever time I try to talk to him he is with __her__. I suppose the wedding, our wedding just isn't as important as this case. He's working so hard, trying to save the world one bit at a time. That doesn't stop me missing him. The sooner it is over the better._

Always trying to be understanding Annie. Alex thought. But deep down you suspected the worst didn't you? The next entry was several days later.

_8__th__ May 1976._

_I'm home. Sam has stayed beside me ever since… well he hasn't let me out of his sight. I catch him looking at me, as if he can't quite believe I am really there._

_Just before I was kidnapped we had a fight. Sam and me. I was just so angry. Every spare moment he spent with that Journalist. OK she came in with information about some sex trafficking ring, and I understand that to the department it was a huge collar. To Sam a chance to make a difference, save some young women from a fate worse than death. But it was deemed too… upsetting for a female WDC. But not apparently for Jackie Queen._

_The Guv said she had the hide of a crocodile._

_I saw how she looked at Sam. A little touch here, a gesture there and it was driving me mad. I was trying to make our wedding the perfect day and Sam wasn't interested in anything I had to say. He was focussed on the case… and Jackie._

_I hadn't seen him very much. He'd been working late a lot. That's the first sign me mam would have said. I was even getting sympathetic looks from Phyllis. It was making me doubt the wedding would take place at all._

_So when he dared, he _**_dared_**_ to say to me that the Martins believed Jackie was his girlfriend. I didn't care. I was tired of being Annie the understanding doormat. I stopped thinking like a copper._

_The station seemed claustrophobic. I didn't want to deal with Sam right then. I needed to get out, away from the hustle and bustle, and inevitable rows that would be going on between Sam and the Guv. I needed to clear my head._

_It was a beautiful day. I took a left out of the station and began to walk towards the canal. My head was so full of Sam, losing Sam, that I wasn't really paying attention. I didn't notice the car pull up beside me. It was only when the bag was put over my head and I was bundled into the back that the sheer terror of my situation hit me. As I struggled I felt a sharp needle point in my neck and then the world went black._

* * *

><p><em>I think it was the smell that woke me. It caught in the back of my throat, a rough mixture of damp an<em>_d human sweat. Opening my eyes it seemed to be a cellar of some kind, disused and filthy. I tried to clear the dull thud in my brain. I was sitting on the floor; my feet bound tightly by ropes, my hands behind me the same. It took a few minutes for me to realise that I was tied back to back with someone else._

"_Annie? You awake?" I recognised the Scottish brogue. Jackie._

"_Yes." I managed to croak. My throat felt like it was on fire. "Where are we?"_

"_One of the Martins' store houses I think. There have been girls coming and going the whole time I've been here. We must have spooked them cos they're moving their whole operation."_

_My eyes started to adjust to the gloom. I could make out figures crouched silently against the walls. They weren't tied, but then they didn't need to be. They were restrained with fear. A young Chinese girl was staring at me; she couldn't have been more than fourteen. Catching her gaze I tried to smile but she looked away quickly. _

"_Have you tried to get one of them to untie you?" I asked Jackie._

"_No. We've all been too busy playing I spy!" She snapped. "Sorry… sorry… None of them seem to speak English and even if they did I suspect they are too scared to try and help us… So you're the cavalry are you?"_

_I paused. "Not… exactly… no…"_

"_I expected just after you arrived they'd all come flying in here to save the day?" There was a slight edge of hysteria in her voice._

"_I'm afraid not. I'm in the same boat as you."_

_She seemed to slump against me. Neither of us said anything for a long time._

"_They will find us you know." I said eventually. I had to keep hoping._

"_Hopefully before it's not too late." Jackie sniffed. "I know I've complained about Gene's methods in the past, but right now I would give anything to see the big ape come charging through that door."_

_We lapsed into silence again._

_The Chinese girl was staring. I tried my brightest smile in the current circumstances, possibly not that bright. I thought the corners of her mouth might have turned up just the tiniest bit, and then she looked away guilty as the door was swung open. _

_In the light of the doorway I could see the outline of a medium set man. He moved purposefully towards us ignoring the other girls. Two men followed him into the room and stood sphinx like either side of the only escape route._

"_Ah ladies. It is good to see you are both back in the land of the living." His voice was calm as if he was asking us if we would like more tea._

"_Martin." Jackie spat angrily._

"_The very same my dear. And Miss Cartwright I am most terribly sorry for our meeting being delayed. A small case of mistaken identity, it seems my people got the wrong impressions…" He paused for a moment to chuckle to himself. "Our Detective Inspector is quite the ladies man, so perhaps it is understandable. I am sure you two will have a lot to talk about… compare notes, the old model and the new. Let's hope D I Tyler hasn't already lined up a number three, otherwise you will both be surplus to… requirements."_

_Still laughing at his own joke, he indicated two girls who had been sitting in the shadows. His men grabbed one each and dragged them through the door before it was slammed shut. What struck me is the girls didn't make a sound._

_Despite myself I couldn't stop the tears that were stinging my eyes. I looked up and blinked. If Jackie had taken him away from me then I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. We had to get out of here, then I would deal with it._

_Jackie said. "God I could kill for a smoke!"_

"_Can't help you there." I replied coolly._

_I felt her nod. "You don't want to let him get inside your head you know."_

_What was I supposed to say? "So you and Sam…"_

_The Scot laughed. "Me and Sam… you have got to be kidding! For one thing he's far too holier than thou for my tastes. I like my men far from virtuous, and secondly if he wasn't talking about the case he could quite happily talk for hours about you, absolutely bored me to death!"_

_I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face. The one that Sam always said lit up a room._

"_Sam did?"_

"_Yeah. He's an odd one your fella. I asked him if he was looking forward to the piss up at the wedding. He just shrugged and said he wasn't that bothered about the day, he just wanted to be married to you. I though he was joking at first… but he kinda isn't, is he?"_

_I felt my smile get a bit wider. Ridiculous. I was in a cellar, god knows where, possibly about to die and all I could see was how I was focussing on this stupid wedding and all he was thinking about was our marriage._

_I felt eyes upon me. The young Chinese girl had obviously seen me sitting there grinning like an idiot and she was smiling back… actually smiling._

_I made a sideways movement with my head towards the rope. She frowned and glanced at the door. I indicated the rope again and smiled. _

"_Please be brave" I whispered._

_She slid across the dirty floor, all the time one eye on the doorway. When she finally reached us she pointed to herself._

"_Lee Chin." She said softly. "Lee Chin."_

"_Annie." I said._

_She nodded and looked at the rope knotting our hands. Lee Chins' hands were shaking as she struggled with the tight bonds. I wasn't sure she would be able to loosen knots tied by men three times her size._


	5. Kidnapped pt 2

_Jackie and I must have been asleep. I jumped as the door was thrown back against the wall with a crash. Our host was making another visit. His men began to drag the remaining girls out of the room, including Lee Chin._

_Martin Came towards us, I could see the outline of the gun in his hand. _

"_End of the line I'm afraid ladies. Despite my polite request DI Tyler seems determined to continue with his… vendetta. So… he is really to blame for your unfortunate... demise."_

_I could hear shouting coming from the top of the stairs. That unmistakeable voice._

"_Put down your weapons… you are surrounded by armed bastards!"_

_There was a scuffle upstairs. In the doorway appeared a large man silhouetted against the light. I knew exactly who it was. _

"_Put down your weapon Martin. It's over." The Guv growled, pointing his pistol._

"_You deaf?" Sam said stepping from behind the older man._

_Martin turned and pointed the pistol at my head. I heard it click as he prepared to fire._

"_I'd be careful if I were you Martin." The DCI sneered. "My DI gets very upset if other people play with his toys, especially if they plan on sending them back broken."_

"_I don't think he will risk the pot on this one."_

_This was my moment. Martins' focus was on the threat in front of him; he hadn't thought to check we were still tied._

_Slipping my hands out of the loosened ropes I lunged forwards knocking Martins' feet from under him. A shot rang out as he hit the floor dropping the gun. Luckily the bullet ricochet harmlessly, it had missed its mark. _

"_Bloody hell Cartwright, you could have had somebody's knackers off!" The Guv said as he holstered his weapon in his belt._

_I helped Jackie to her feet, also unharmed. The Guv wandered across to Martin, lying spread eagled on the floor. __He kicked the weapon away._

_Sam still had his gun drawn, pointed at the mans' head._

"_Take them to safety." He said._

_I looked at the DCI and back at Sam. There was on look on his face… a kind of cold anger, something that I had never seen before._

"_D I Tyler! You do not imagine for one moment that I am going to allow you to 'interrogate' this suspect without the proper protocols and procedures. He is entitled to his solicitor…"_

_Sams' attention flickered for a moment to the Guv who was somehow managing to look completely innocent._

"_What?" He said incredulously. "You do it all the time!"_

_"Ah" Hunt said tapping his nose. "But I am the Gene Genie. You are the little Jiminy Cricket whispering in my ear, bloody annoying it is too... Sam, everytime you take the law into your own hands it eats a little of you away... You do not want this __'orrible little scrote on your conscience... He aint worth it."_

_The Guv grabbed Martin by the collar and janked him to his feet. "We've got enough to put this piece of scum away for a very long time Tyler. Now will you stop waving that gun about like a bleedin fairy wand and get those two dozy mares out of here?"_

_"Sam… please?" I pleaded._

_He seemed to register me properly. He lowered his weapon and tucked it into his belt. Moving forward he suddenly punched Martin hard in the stomach. The man folded in half._

"_Feel better Dorothy?" The Guv asked, still holding on to Martins collar as he coughed and gasped._

_Sam nodded flexing his knuckles. "A bit."_

"_Well if you fella's have finished filling the place with testosterone, do you think someone could give me a bloody fag!" Jackie asked._

* * *

><p><em>There was the inevitable debrief at the station. All I wanted to do was get home. I felt dirtier than I think I have ever been in my life.<em>

_Sam conducted the interview, gently. I could see there were questions he needed to ask but didn't want to know the answer._

"_Annie… did Martin… or any of his henchmen… did they…" He stopped and ran his hands over his face._

"_No."_

_I could tell by the look on his face, he wasn't sure whether to believe me. I reached out for his hands and held them, forcing him to look at me._

"_He never touched me."_

_He almost sagged with relief. _

"_What about Lee Chin?" I asked. _

"_She'll be moved to a childrens' home. Seems her family had sold her to Martin. She won't or can't say where she came from. They'll keep her here in the UK, until she recovers... post traumatic stress."_

_I nodded._

_"I see now why you were so obsessed, they're only kids." I took a deep breath, it was now or never._ "_I've been thinking about the wedding. I'm going to cancel the church."_

_Sams' eyes widened i__n slight panic. "Annie! No, look, about Jackie, I can explain."_

"_Keep your knickers on!" I felt myself biting my bottom lip, my eyes lowered. "I'm not cancelling the wedding. I just realised I don't need bridesmaids or a fancy church or lots of flowers."_

"_But you wanted the big white wedding?" I met Sams' gaze, he was searching my face._

"_It's not about the wedding Sam; I'd marry you in a tin shack. I've... I've realised some things... what's really important. I'm… sorry, can you forgive me."_

"_I think I should be asking you that." He said, squeezing my hand._

* * *

><p><em>Finally home, I felt better after my bath. It went some way to washin<em>_g__ the last few days away. Delicious smells were making my stomach rumble. That still amazes me, a man who knows his way around a kitchen, although some of Sams' creations were a little strange for me. Did fruit really go with chicken?_

_I noticed a letter on the table. It had my name written in Sam's handwriting. _

* * *

><p>"<em>So you're taking to writing me love letters now?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.<em>

_Sam gave me a slightly embarrassed smile before turning his attention back to the stove._

"_As you see, not one hair on my head has been harmed… however you haven't checked the rest of me?"_

_He turned so slowly and stared. He swallowed… I had only let my dressing gown fall open a little way but it seemed to be enough. Perhaps being in danger made me brazen, or perhaps it was just that letter._

_Switching off the stove he crossed the space between us, his stare so intent that I began to feel embarrassed._

_He tucked a piece of damp hair behind my ear._

"_It would have to be a very thorough." His voice was hoarse. "A fingertip search."_

_I couldn't resist. _

"_I hope you're not planning on using rubber gloves?" I giggled and ran into the bedroom. Sam wasn't far behind._

_I can tell you one thing. It's true, to err is human, but sometimes forgiveness can be truly divine._


	6. Gene Hunts' Wedding Speech

Leaning back against the sofa Alex hugged the diary to her. 'So this is what happens when you put a modern man in the Stone Age.' She thought. 'You, Sam Tyler must have been quite a shock.'

She was shaken from her thoughts by a furious banging on her door.

"Bolly? Bolly knickers! You bloody in there or not!"

"Speaking of the Stone Age." She muttered.

Quickly collecting up the diaries she looked around desperately for somewhere to put them. The pounding on the door continued.

"Boooo-lllll-eeee!"

Alex stuffed the diaries into the bottom of a kitchen cupboard before composing herself. He could wait.

After a few minutes she opened the door.

"Not." She said coolly.

"Not what, you dozy tart?" Hunt said barging in.

"Not here." She replied smiling.

Gene looked at her as though she was from another planet. He shook his head.

"Where've you been? Not in the office, not at Luigis'… you're up to something. I want to know what that something is…"

"You're drunk." Alex said dismissively. Hunt picked up the half empty bottle of wine and regarded it critically.

"Not even close, but if you've got any more of these lying around I'll give it a go, I've got a tongue like Ghandis' flip flop."

Sighing, Alex went through to the kitchen to get a glass and another bottle. Her eyes flickered involuntarily to the cupboard hiding the diaries.

"So..?" Hunt said making Alex jump. She hadn't heard him come into the kitchen. For such a large man he could be surprisingly silent.

"So what?"

"What are you up to?"

"What makes you think I am up to anything? You're always telling me I'm a huge pain in your arse; I'd have thought you'd enjoy the break."

"Perhaps I was worried about you?" Gene said, taking the bottle from her hand and opening it. He generously filled both glasses, handing one to his DI.

"Worried? About me?" Alex asked innocently, taking a sip.

"Ok, so not worried. But I like to know where my officers are at all times." He said, mollified a little.

She flopped back on the sofa. "So you found me."

* * *

><p>Two bottles of wine later, Alex knew she was flirting. She'd been careful to make sure the Guvs' glass was filled more than her own, but still, she was a little light headed. It made her reckless. She leaned forward.<p>

"Do you miss it?" She asked.

"Miss what?" His eyes were fixed on her, inches away.

"Being married, having a family… something outside of the job?"

"Not really." He said. "Wives and coppers don't mix. You're married to the job."

"It seemed to work for Sam and Annie?"

That broke the spell. He moved back, avoiding her gaze.

"Drake, what is your obsession with Tyler?"

"It's not an obsession, it's just curiosity. I might want to get married myself one day…"

Gene was watching her; she could tell he was guarded.

"You must have been at the wedding… what was it like?" She asked, mirroring his posture.

Hunt shrugged. "I dunno. Weddings are for birds. They went, got married; we all went to the railway arms for a piss up. I think Nelson did vol-u-vents."

"Was it a church wedding?" She asked innocently… already knowing the answer.

"Na. Registry office. Can't see why they were in such a bleedin' hurry. Cartwright had got him by the short and curlies I reckon… case he changed his mind."

"You still call her Cartwright?"

Gene took a swig from his glass which Alex immediately refilled. "Couldn't have two bleedin' Tylers on the team could I? Chris was already confused enough."

Alex smiled. "So tell me about the wedding."

"It was a poxy wedding! I was best man… of course, that ball breaker Queen was the other witness… wotsit… bridesmaid... that was it."

"Queen? Jackie Queen? I didn't think she and Annie got on?" Alex asked.

"Oh yeah, some argy bargy over Sam, but after that, thick as thieves. Why do you want to know all this?" The Guvs' eyes narrowed.

"I'm just curious, I told you." She said sweetly.

"It's ancient history, leave it alone… you got 'nother bottle?"

Alex realised that was all she was going to get.

The final bottle finished, Gene Hunt staggered out into the night.

* * *

><p>Alex washed her face. It was three am and she was exhausted. Despite her fatigue she couldn't resist finding the entry for the wedding.<p>

Fishing the diaries out of the cupboard she took them into her bedroom.

_9__th__ October 1976_

_That's it then. I am officially Mrs Sam Tyler. No fuss, no frills and I couldn't have wished for anything more. I keep looking at my wedding ring, touching it, the moment Sam put it on my finger I knew that I would never ever want to take it off again. The Guv still insists on calling me Cartwright but I don't really mind. I know I'm Mrs Tyler and so does everyone else._

_No-one could be in any doubt after the speech the Guv gave in the Railway arms. I can feel myself cringing just thinking about it._

"_Right then. Shut up the bloody lot of you!"_

_There was a general drunken roar before everyone settled down to listen. I felt myself sink into my seat._

"_I thought you weren't going to let him make a speech." I whispered to Sam from the corner of my mouth._

"_**You** try and stop him." He replied pushing my drink closer. "This'll help."_

_I feared the worst._

"_As you know, for a copper, a wife is about as welcome as a pork pie at a Jewish wedding… But having spent two years gazing at Cartwright like a shite hawk peeping round a hoss turd, I think we were all relieved when DI Tyler finally got his end away."_

_Above the cheers I heard Sam groan. "Classy Guv."_

_Gene continued. "It just goes to show he wasn't the great fairy, Manchester united supporting, French, bender, jessy poof that we thought he was! Despite my sage advice he still decided to make an honest woman of her. I did ask him if she was up the duff, but apparently he hasn't managed to hit that bull's-eye yet, and judging his prowess with a firearm, I can't say I'm surprised."_

_There was a roar of approval._

"_The smug bastard has managed to carry off one of the better looking birds in the station though, decent pair of tits and more ballsy than any tart has a right to be, just no-body give her a shooter."_

"_I still haven't had my weapons training." I said looking him straight in the eye._

"_Cartwright, I've seen you with a whip…" He paused as everyone laughed._

_I felt myself blushing wildly._

_Addressing the room, Gene rubbed his hands together. "This is going to go down well then."_

_I wondered what he meant._

"_So now she is off the market gentlemen… you know what you need to do."_

_Ray and Chris got to their feet and approached our table, they each placed a key in front of Sam. I thought Chris was going to collapse with giggling. One after the other, every bloke in the room came to the table, each one grinning wider than the last, until there must have been a pile of thirty random keys. I hid my face in my hands. This couldn't get any worse..._

"_Is that the lot?" The Guv said as he threw his own key onto the pile. "No more keys to Cartwrights' flat?"_

_Sam squeezed my hand under the table. I could see he was trying to suppress a grin. _

"_It's not funny." I hissed._

"_No, of course not." He replied trying to look serious, but I noticed he hid his mouth behind his hand._

"_Ladies?" He asked looking around the room. "The same goes for our D.I."_

_A huge roar went up as Phyllis walked to the front and dropped a key in front of me. Sam got to his feet and playfully pecked her on the cheek. The room exploded in laughter._

_The humour was infectious. I could feel the corners of my own mouth start to twitch._

"_What **is** it with you and women?" I whispered as he sat down. "_Just so long as you're sure you made the right choice?"__

_He leaned over so his lips were just inches from my ear. "It was a close call, but yeah, I'm sure." _

Alex closed the book. Her eyes were shutting anyway. As she drifted off to sleep she desperately wished she could have met Annie Tyler. This woman seemed to have made life bearable for Sam. She stood up for him, stood up for herself against that bunch of neanderthals, and she seemed to be winning. Alex wondered if they would have been friends, she liked to think so. Perhaps life would be easier if she had someone like Annie, someone to understand… she thought no more. Alex was fast asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I'm not sure if anyone is still following this story. But if you are sticking with it, I need your help. We've got three and a bit years left. If anyone has ideas for any scenarios they would like to see then I would welcome the help. Just one proviso... no babies please. Thanks.**


	7. Somebody to love pt 1

**A/N Huge thanks to DanaCartwright who helped to provide the inspiration for this chapter and the next few to follow. In fanfiction... it's nice to know you are not alone!**

* * *

><p>Over her toast and coffee Alex flicked forward. There were no entries at all for two weeks, it must have been the honeymoon. Something was not quite right about this story. For all intensive purposes Sam seemed perfectly content in the 1970s. She thought back to her own marriage in 2008 and realised how quickly everything could go bad, sometimes right under your nose. It was indescribable but somehow she wanted to prolong their happiness for as long as she could. It seemed to give her hope.<p>

_28th October 1976_

"_Can anybody… find meeee, somebody toooo… looooove!" I sang happily to myself. How was I to know the Guv hadn't gone to the pub with the others?_

"_What is that god awful noise Cartwright? If I had known marriage would have made you this bleedin' happy I'd have put a stop to it!" He demanded as he came out of his office._

"_Sorry Sir." I said quickly getting back to my paperwork. "It's a song by Queen."_

"_I don't care if it is a symphony by the entire bleedin' royal family, don't go caterwauling it around my office."_

_I only knew the song at all because I caught Sam singing it on our honeymoon. He thought I'd gone out for a walk but I forgot my sweater. He can't have heard me come back because there he was, in the shower, singing his head off. When he came out of the bathroom he actually looked embarrassed and I know it wasn't because he only had a towel tied around his waist. Despite the obvious distraction of my new husband almost naked, I couldn't help but tease him about his choice of song._

"_So I'm not good enough then?"_

_He put his arms around me, his hair still damp, and kissed me. He tasted of soap. I just wanted to melt into him. With supreme self control I managed to push him away._

"_Somebody to love?" I'd asked._

"_Uh huh." He said pulling me back towards him. "And there you were…" He began to trace little butterfly kisses across my collar bone and up my neck._

"_If you think you are going to get around me like that Sam Tyler you have another thing coming." I said, both of us knowing that I was already completely lost. _

_My fingers traced the contours of his shoulders. I allowed my nails to rake gently down his back making him shiver._

_Determined lips found my earlobe causing what little resolve I had left to disappear along with the towel…_

"_Cartwright!" The Guv snapped his fingers causing me to jump. "If you could come back from bloody fairyland?" He looked around the office. "And where is your lord and master… I thought you two were joined at the hip these days or has he actually managed to slip the leash?"_

"_He's taking a statement from the member of the public who came in earlier Sir."_

"_That bleedin hippy?"_

_I nodded._

"_A hippy came into my station… voluntarily… Not being dragged kicking and screaming… I don't like it Cartwright… I don't like it one bit."_

_Hunt charged through the double doors and turned towards lost property._

_I went back to my daydream._

* * *

><p><em>I couldn't warm to DCI Litton. In fact I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the greater Manchester and Salford area who could stand to be in the same room as the man."<em>

'I know exactly what you mean.' Alex thought, remembering her own encounter with the misogynistic DCI.

"_There was something about DCI Litton that made Gene Hunt seem like James Bond by comparison. I was bending over the filing cabinet when he and one of his officers must have walked in. I didn't even realise they were there until I heard the Guv._

"_Smells like a tarts' bloody handbag in 'ere… Oh hello DCI Litton, didn't see you there!"_

"_Paco Raban actually." Litton replied. _

"_Well I'm sure you're not here just to stare at my WDCs' arse so what flea ridden cat dragged in you and your orang-utan?" _

_Sam leant back against the desk, a buff folder under his arm. I couldn't read the expression on his face._

"_Seems you've got yourself a nice bit of totty on the team Gene. Next thing you know you'll be exchanging knitting patterns." Litton glanced over his shoulder at me. "Make us a coffee luv… mens' talk."_

"_Stay where you are Cartwright." The Guv snapped as I moved to get up. I sat down again._

_Litton shrugged. "You've been treading on my toes again Geno. That job with Martin… that should have been RCS and you know it."_

"_One of my officers was targeted… that made it my collar." The Guv replied. _

"_That would have been you then darling… I always said women were trouble Gene, especially the pretty ones, but then you always had a weakness…"_

"_Wasn't DCI Litton busy buffing up his medals that day Tyler, while we were out doing the real work?" Hunt snapped._

"_I think he might have been Guv." Sam replied, his eyes never leaving Litton._

_There seemed to be an age before anyone spoke. "Anyway…" Derek Litton was suddenly jovial again. "Small matter of Peter Royce."_

"_What about him?"_

"_We believe he is connected with a major drug ring, and as you know Gene, that comes under RCS jurisdiction."_

"_Peter Royce… Peter Royce… name rings a bell… Tyler?"_

"_It does sound familiar Guv." Sam nodded._

"_Don't play bloody games with me Gene. I know he is in this station. I want him transferred into my custody… immediately." Litton said. Without even being able to see his face, I could imagine the little mans' moustache twitching in agitation._

"_Ah… you mean our hippy gentleman? Can't help you I'm afraid." Gene said. I could swear there was a hint of a smile._

"_He was merely helping us with our enquires." Sam added. "Nice bloke."_

"_Very nice… could do with a haircut." Gene agreed._

"_He was free to go over an hour ago." Sam finished. _

"_You let him go!" Litton growled. "He's a bloody hippy and you couldn't even fit him up for possession!"_

"_That would have been wrong." Hunt said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just because he has long hair and wears a dress does not make him a bad person."_

_Litton clenched and unclenched his hands. Realising he was going to get nowhere he stormed towards the double doors, his flunky at his heels. "You've not heard the last of this Hunt!" He spat._

_As his footsteps disappeared down the hall, I noticed Sam had lowered his head, he was trying not to laugh._

"_Don't you dare say one bloody word Tyler, you smug bastard!"_

_Sam coughed. "No Guv." He replied handing the folder over._

"_I'm not surprised he wants our Mr Royce." Sam continued. "If half of what's in this statement is true, Litton is in it up to his neck."_

_The Guv clapped his hands together. "Time to celebrate then I think… Railway Arms… Tyler you can buy me a pint."_

* * *

><p><em>Sam was leaning against the lockers while I collected my handbag, he seemed distracted.<em>

"_What was so funny?" I asked._

"_Huh?"_

"_Peter Royce?"_

"_Oh. The Guv wanted to do him for possession on the basis of him being a long haired, unwashed, greasy, hippy bastard… After he'd seen what was in the statement he agreed that it was perhaps in Mr Royces' best interests to disappear for a while instead."_

"_I bet that went down well… what happens if DCI Litton finds him?"_

_Sam smiled. "I would say that would be extremely unlikely…"_

_He held out his hand for mine. "Drink, Mrs Tyler?"_

_Leaving the station we turned left instead of right. _

"_Where are we going?" I asked. "The pubs' that way."_

"_I want to show you something first." Sam said pulling me along. _

_I giggled. "If that is a line it's really terrible."_

_He pecked me briefly on the lips. "Annie Tyler, you have a one track mind, but it's not that, come on."_

_Little did I realise at the time we were being watched._

* * *

><p>"<em>I tried to buy that song today." I said as we walked.<em>

"_What song?" When Sam was single minded about something there was no talking to him._

"_The Queen single… Somebody to love…I went into Woollies but no-one had heard of it."_

_Sam wasn't listening. "We're here."_

_The something turned out to be the most adorable house. It wasn't too far from the station in a quiet street. Sam already had the keys. _

"_What do you think?" He asked once I'd inspected every room._

_I didn't know what to say._

"_You don't like it?" He looked disappointed._

_I had a lump in my throat… "It's… it's perfect!" I managed to gasp._

"_If you like it then it's ours… I wanted to let you see it first but I can sign the papers in the morning."_

_I threw my arms around Sams' neck. I wasn't exactly sure what I'd done to deserve this wonderful husband but I certainly wasn't complaining._

So that's how you ended up in that house Annie Tyler. Alex thought. You loved it, and yet after Sam died you left without a second glance, even leaving your precious diaries behind.

She took a mouthful of coffee before realising it had gone completely cold.

'And Litton… I knew that man was trouble. Did he have something to do with why Sam had to disappear? Bevan had seemed to think so.' The answers would have to wait for now. Alex glanced at her watch. If she wasn't in CID in half an hour there would be hell to pay.


	8. Somebody to love pt 2

Alex kicked off her heels and flopped gratefully onto the sofa. She wished for the days when she'd been able to go to work in flats. Rubbing some life back into her foot she flicked the page on Annies' diary.

_30th October 1976_

_Sometimes I miss the days when I was just a plonk. Don't get me wrong, CID is exciting, but it does have its downside._

_I'd been returning some files to records and noticed some of the girls chatting to an attractive PC. I hadn't seen him before so it wasn't surprising he was being cross examined. Any fresh male in the station was an event… and if he was under seventy five an opportunity. I remember the day Sam arrived, the female officers were positively buzzing with excitement. Fortunately for me his reputation for being trouble… and something of a nutcase… seemed to put everyone else off._

_"Hey Annie!" Mary called out. "This is John Prescott. He's from your fella's old stamping ground…"_

_"Hyde?"_

_John seemed to be revelling in all this attention. "John." He said holding out his hand. I indicated my arm full of files. He didn't seem offended._

_"So you're from Sams' old station, did you know him?"_

_"Oh a bit… not well, you know with me being…" He gestured to the uniform._

_"I know what it's like. If you're a plonk CID don't even notice you exist."_

_"I think you got a bit more notice than the rest of us." Teased Mary with a nudge._

_"Anyway girls… we better get back or Phyllis will have our guts for garters… remember John, she's a married woman!"_

_PC Prescott seemed in no hurry to go anywhere. "DI Tyler always was a bit of a ladies man, I'm not surprised he managed to charm you."_

_My mind flicked back to a conversation Sam and I had in the canteen before our sex party operation. 'Where I come from people love me… they don't want anything from me, they don't want to fight me… they just love me.' I'd never really considered the significance of those words before. Now I had the opportunity to find out for myself._

_"Can I help you with those?" John asked._

_"If you don't have anywhere you need to be?"_

_He shook his head. "I have time."_

_I handed over a large pile of files. "So Sam had lots of girlfriends?"_

_John nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, all the chicks wanted a piece of DI Tyler. Different one every week."_

_I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. I knew Sam… he didn't seem the sort… I mean O.K when we went to that club he was dancing with that girl… and he did end up naked and handcuffed to a bed… perhaps I didn't know him as well as I thought."_

_"What about the rest of CID, did he get on well with them? They seemed to do things very differently than here."_

_"Yeah… all very hush hush. You know what it's like all 'breaking down doors' and 'you're nicked', very uncool."_

_"Yes." I bit my bottom lip. We had reached the records room. I decided I didn't want to hear any more. I didn't want to know about that Sam. "Thanks for the help John." I said._

_He plonked the files back into my arms and opened the door for me. "No problem." With a wave he was back off along the corridor._

_He must have passed DCI Litton and his Sergeant coming the other way. I heard the door to records click as they came in, there was a waft of strong aftershave._

_"Ah… WDC Cartwright… I'm glad I found you…"_

_The Sergeant stood in front of the door blocking my escape._

_"Sir? What can I do for you?" I asked trying to keep the tremble out of my voice._

_"Well… it's very simple Cartwright… Your guvnor has spirited away a suspect that I am very keen to find…"_

_I opened my mouth to speak._

_"Ah…ah…ah…" Litton said putting his finger to his lips. "Before you say anything, remember I am your superior officer. I want to help you Annie, and I know you want to help me."_

_Help him? All I wanted to do was hit him in the face as hard as I could and get the hell out of there._

_"You're in a difficult situation, I can see that. But it is vital that this piece of scum is brought to justice. Your guvnor and DI can't seem to see that… I know you'll see that Annie. So why don't you just tell me where Peter Royce is, hmmm?"_

_"I… I don't know." I answered truthfully._

_Litton shook his head and tutted. I wondered if I screamed would anyone hear me. Records was in the bowels of the station, it seemed unlikely._

_"Now, now Annie. Such a shame… such a terrible shame, but it's a sign of the times I suppose. I'm sure you wouldn't want **Mr** Cartwright to get wind of what you've been up to now would you?"_

_I must have frowned at him in confusion. What could my dad possibly have to do with any of this?_

_"I can see you're not following me so I'll put it simply. I know..." He said expectantly._

_"You know…?" I asked, still quite confused._

_"Oh for goodness sake you dozy tart… I know you're shagging DI Tyler behind your husbands back. I saw you … I saw you holding hands and kissing, I saw you go to his house and I'm damned sure you weren't there to give him advice on interior design!"_

_I nearly burst out laughing, it was all I could do to stop a smile breaking across my face._

_He continued. "So if you don't want hubby to find out about your little affair I would suggest you tell me where they've put bloody Royce."_

_"I can't do that Sir." I said more confidently. "I don't know and even if I did I wouldn't tell you."_

_The DCI shook his head sadly. He took a step forward so that his face was close to mine, his voice became a whisper. "But you can find out can't you? I'm sure Tyler would tell you in one of those 'intimate' moments." I was grateful when he finally stepped away. "Otherwise…what **would** your husband say…? What would he say if he knew what kind of woman you really are?"_

_Littons' sergeant was thrown forwards as the door burst open at the receiving end of Sams' kick._

_"He knows exactly what kind of woman Annie is."_

_"Ah how very over dramatic DI Tyler. WDC Cartwright was just trying to find something out for me." Litton said stepping over the man on the floor. He edged past Sam each unwilling to break the others' gaze. "Think about what I said Cartwright…" He said," and get up Wilson."_

_Squaring his shoulders the DCI strutted down the corridor pushing Prescott out of the way. The sergeant scrabbled to his feet and followed._

_"You ok?" Sam asked as he put his arms around me. I hadn't even realised I was shaking._

_"How did you even know I was down here?"_

_"PC Prescott saw them following you and thought something was wrong."_

_I pulled away embarrassed as I saw John standing there. He was grinning._

_"Cool." He said._

* * *

><p><em>12th November 1976.<em>

_I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to write. But… we have finally moved into our first house! It's even more perfect now that we've had a chance to decorate and get things exactly how we wanted them. We handed over the keys for the flat today and tonight will be the first time we sleep in our new home._

_I had quite the argument with Sam about DCI Litton. His instinct was to have someone with me wherever I went in the station… It was ridiculous. For one thing I had no idea where Royce was anyway, and secondly there was nothing that Litton could use to blackmail me._

_The DCIs' chance came soon enough. "So… WDC Cartwright… you've thought about our conversation?" He'd caught up with me outside the Ladies. "I'm not sure it's a good idea for senior officers to be lurking outside the womens' toilets... Sir." I said continuing on my way. He blocked my path._

_"I'm done playing games. Perhaps you want your colleagues to also know what you've been doing? It isn't going to go down well on your record."_

_"Ok Sir." I pushed past Litton and walked into CID. The DCI followed. I took a deep breath as I opened the door._

_"I am sleeping with DI Tyler." I announced to the office. There was a general raising of heads before they all went back to their work._

_You could have knocked Litton down with a feather._

_"That's lovely Cartwright… and here we were all worried that the magic had gone… now where's that bloody tea I asked you for." The Guv snapped._

_Litton was for once speechless._

_Sam wandered over and leant against a desk, his arms folded. I could see he was enjoying this._

_"You've met my wife… Annie?" he said indicating me He oozed politeness as if we were at a dinner party._

_"You're wife…? But you're Cartwright?"_

_"One Tyler is enough, trust me." Gene said. "Didn't I tell you Litton…? Sorry, must have slipped my mind."_

_I honestly thought Litton was going to explode. He stood staring in disgust for several minutes before storming out of the office to a round of slow claps._

_"That… on its own… was bloody worth it." The Guv said. "Right Cartwright… enough with the theatrics… tea… Scrap that… it's scotch o'clock!" He strode back into his office._

_It was only then I noticed PC Prescott standing in the corner. Sam brought him forward. "Annie… you remember Peter Royce?" Now that I looked at him properly, it was the same young man who'd come in days before. He now had a short back and sides and was obviously in uniform, but it was definitely Peter Royce._

_"Nobody in CID looks at a plod." I said as the penny dropped._

_"I'm off to a kibbutz in India, but my flight wasn't due to leave until today. DI Tyler thought the best place to keep me safe was under DCI Littons' nose. I've never been that keen on the police, but having seen it from the inside... seen it isn't all dirty, I might think about it when I get back."_

* * *

><p><em>Later as we prepared dinner I thought about what had happened. "So Prescott… or Royce.. He was never actually with you in Hyde?<em>

_Sam shook his head. "It was all part of his cover… I think he might have got a bit carried away with his story. I'm actually amazed I can still walk after some of the things I'm supposed to have done! Did he mention anthing to you?"_

_"No." I lied. "But I thought it was proof that…" I didn't want to say it._

_"That I am actually from another station and not the future?" Sam finished for me._

_I nodded._

_"You don't have to worry… that stuff is all over with." He kissed me on the forehead as he took the plates through to the dining room._

_The radio caught my attention._

_"Now for the first time ever… this has never been played anywhere before… the new single by Queen!"_

_As the song started I felt myself freeze with shock._

_"Can anybody…. Find me… somebody… toooooo… love."_


	9. When Sam Came Back

**A/N Thanks again to DanaCartwright who inspired this chapter. Enjoy! **

* * *

><p>"But what about Litton!" Alex almost wailed. "So you went bad Sam… you covered up for that… that… slug!" She slammed the diary closed angrily and stalked into the kitchen. She couldn't settle. Drumming her fingernails on the worktop. This wasn't how she wanted things to be. Sam had to be the decent copper. Drake took a deep breath. 'Unless that was something to do with why he died… if he had died at all.' She glanced back to the pile of books. 'Had he become as bent as the rest of them and it took its toll. Someone was after him and he had to disappear… or had he crossed the line with Gene… or Litton?'<p>

She slowly walked back to the sofa as if the diaries would jump up and bite her.

Cautiously she opened the book again.

_29__th__ November 1976_

_I haven't plucked up the courage to ask Sam about the song. I keep trying to convince myself it is just a coincidence. He could have heard it before… it might have been previewed… perhaps I misheard the D.J. We agreed, we agreed so long ago that we would never talk about 'Hyde'. We'd been out together before lots of times, but we were… friends. There was nothing permanent about Sam, he was always waiting for the chance to leave. If I'm honest I wanted more but I wasn't prepared to be a quick fling. When he asked me what to do, I knew exactly what he was asking. Had I forgiven him, did I care for him as much as he cared for me? So I said 'Stay here… forever.' I knew from that moment things would be different and when he kissed me… it was worth the wait. Things **were** different, he was going to stay. So I think of it as our first date, almost three years ago to the day. That was the exact moment all the craziness stopped. Sam wrote me a list when he first arrived here. He said it would prove that he was from the future. 26th November 1973 was the day he tore up the list. Now I was going to find it and start all the madness over again._

Alex scrabbled to find the right diary. "1973…1973…the list…" She muttered. Turning to November she found it stuck together with sellotape. She read the entry.

_26th__ November 1973_

_I wasn't sure what was going to happen now. Sam had promised to stay… and he'd kissed me. Not a peck on the cheek, not like a friend… He had taken my face in his hands and pressed his lips to mine. There was uncertainty, but at the same time the feeling that he had wanted to do it for so long. As he pulled away I opened my eyes for the briefest second and our gazes locked. Then he was kissing me again, all doubt gone… I wanted that kiss to go on forever. Unfortunately the Guv wasn't about to let that happen._

"_TYLER! Put that soppy plonk down and get in! Blag on at Archer Lane, shots fired, lovely!"_

_I didn't even feel embarrassed. We just stood grinning at each other. But a shout is a shout and off we went._

_Back at the station Sam had been, well Sam… I did catch him staring my way once or twice, but then I suppose I must have been staring in the first place. All I wanted was the day to end so I could finally get him to myself. _

"_You coming to the pub boss?" Chris asked._

_Sam glanced at me and raised his eyebrows in question. I nodded quickly._

* * *

><p>"<em>Annie?" Chris stood looking nervous beside the chair Phyllis had just left for bingo.<em>

"_Chris." _

_He sat down, fingering his pint glass._

"_What can I do for you?" I asked. It was clear he wasn't going to start the conversation on his own._

"_You're a bird… um I mean a woman…"_

"_Nothing wrong with your eyesight then Chris… and?"_

"_And… well you like the boss don't you?"_

_I felt the colour coming into my face. Involuntarily I glanced at Sam propping up the bar with the Guv. They seemed mid heated debate about something. He must have felt me staring because he turned and smiled briefly before being drawn back._

"_Err, yes Chris, I like him… why? Don't you?"_

"_No!" He said hurriedly. "Well what I mean is yeah he's alright as a bloke you know, but not like a poof!"_

_I smiled. _

"_I was just wondering…" He pulled his chair a little closer. "I mean... all the bir…" He stopped himself. "All the women at the station like him, even Phyllis and I thought she hated all blokes… I just…What is it about him that you … like?"_

_I must admit I was a bit surprised by the question. How on earth was I supposed to explain what it felt like to be with Sam? When he put his arms around me it made me feel safe and when he'd kissed me…" I felt my fingertips move to my lips._

"_Annie?" Chris interrupted. There was certain desperation about his question. _

"_You mean what is it with Sam and women?"_

_He nodded._

"_It will cost you a vodka and tonic to find out." I said grinning._

_Chris shot off to the bar eagerly while I had time to prepare my answer. It wasn't going to be easy. Sam was stubborn and difficult, occasionally insane and… oh my god… I was completely in love with him! _

* * *

><p>"<em>You see Chris. When Sam talks to you, he actually cares what your opinion is and he listens."<em>

_DC Skelton was busy rifling through his pockets. Eventually he came out with a notebook and a severely chewed pencil._

"_What?" He said._

_I rolled my eyes. "I said he listens to what women have to say." _

_Chris made a note. _

"_You're writing this down?" I asked in surprise._

_He nodded. "What else?"_

"_He's fun to be with."_

_Chris frowned. "Fun… the boss? I can't imagine him lighting his own farts?"_

"_No Chris, not that, but he is actually quite funny. He's kind and considerate and he doesn't stare at my chest or slap my arse"_

_Chris wrote it all down, then read it back._

"_So what you're saying is women like the boss because he treats them like blokes and acts like he doesn't fancy them!"_

_I felt my brain begin to ache._

"_No…" I began. _

_Sam had obviously managed to extract himself from the bar. "This looks a very in-depth conversation?" He said brightly taking a sip of his whisky._

"_Annie's just explaining to me how you don't fancy her." Chris said quickly._

_I thought Sams'eyebrows were going to literally shoot off the top of his head. He blinked a couple of times, looked from me to Chris then back to me in complete astonishment before turning to walk back to the bar._

_I grabbed the tail of his leather jacket._

"_Don't you dare leave me here drowning in this 'in-depth' conversation?" I said pointing at an empty chair._

_He grinned and sat down._

"_Chris was wondering about your 'differing' attitude to the female of the species." I explained._

_The Guv chose that moment to pass on his way back from the toilet._

"_Tyler gets on with women because he is wetter than a haddocks' codpiece." Hunt slapped Chris on the back of the head. "Your round Christopher."_

_Sheepishly Chris tucked his pencil and notebook into his inside pocket and hurried to the bar._

"_You ready to go?" Sam asked quietly._

_Nodding, I downed the last of my drink and collected my things._

* * *

><p><em>It was a relief to be outside in the cool air. <em>

_Sam walked beside me, his hands in his pockets. "So… I don't fancy you?" He teased._

_I felt myself going pink to the roots of my hair. "I was just explaining that you don't talk to my cleavage or slap my arse… Chris drew his own conclusions." _

_He stopped. I felt his arms around my waist as he pulled me towards him. Our noses were inches apart. "What's your conclusion Annie?" He whispered. _

_My heart felt like it would explode out of my chest. _

_He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I returned the kiss, our mouths moulding together as if they had been made for each other. My arms snaked around his neck pulling him closer. I didn't want it to end but we both needed air. He pulled away and kissed the tip of my nose._

"_I've been waiting to do that all day." He said._

* * *

><p><em>I unlocked the door to my flat. "Are you coming in for a drink?"<em>

_Sam nodded. There was nothing unusual about that. Sam had been in my flat no end of times. So why was my stomach doing back flips? He threw his jacket over the back of the sofa and sat down, his legs stretched out._

"_I've only got a bottle of wine I'm afraid." I said, trying to stop my hands shaking as I took it out of the fridge. _

"_That's fine." He called back. I wondered if he was nervous too. He didn't seem to be, but then you could never really tell what was going on in Sams' head._

_I sat down beside him and handed him a glass._

_He made a face as he took the first mouthful._

"_It's Blue Nun." I said holding up the bottle._

"_What? Produced literally out of a blue nun?"_

"_Behave." I said laughing. _

_He put down the glass and pulled me into his arms again. We kissed and talked and talked and kissed for what felt like hours._

_Eventually he looked at his watch and frowned. "I'd better be going." He said standing up._

_I curled up on the sofa watching him pick up his jacket._

"_You… you don't have to." I said, suddenly taking an intense interest in the upholstery of the settee as I fiddled with the braiding._

_I glanced up, embarrassed. He was frozen to the spot. _

"_I mean if you don't want to go…"_

_He took hold of my hands and guided me gently to my feet. I still couldn't quite look at him. Lifting my chin he brought my eyes level with his._

"_I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be."_

_I changed into my nightdress in the bathroom. Not of course that I'd bought it specially or anything. It's pink silk with tiny straps, very pretty and not too slutty but I'd be lying if I said Sam wasn't on my mind when I saw it. I just wasn't quite ready to get undressed in front of him, it seems silly now. Part of me couldn't believe I was doing this, the rest of me had never wanted anything more in my life._

_I hovered uncertainly by the door, Sam was under the covers, I couldn't help but wonder if he was naked already. There was a look on his face, lust certainly but something else, awe? I don't know. Taking a deep breath I moved to the bed and sat beside him._

"_You are so beautiful." He ran a finger along my collar bone. It felt like an electric current. I must have shivered._

"_You don't have to do anything you don't want to do Annie." He said cupping my face in his hand. _

_I couldn't help but laugh. "Look how it turned out last time you told me that."_

_He smiled and moved over, pulling back the covers._

**_And after what happened next, I don't think I am ever going to be able to stop smiling! _**

* * *

><p><em>As the sun came up I lay there, Sam's arm draped around me, my head on his shoulder, it felt so perfect. I looked up into his face. His eyes were closed but he was definitely grinning.<em>

"_You look like the cat that got the cream." I said, not being able to hide my own smirk. "The Guv's right you know, you are smug!"_

_He kissed the top of my head. "On this occasion I think I have every right to be."_

_I tried not to giggle. _

"_So no more visions, seeing things, hearing things or telling me you come from the future?" I leaned over, picked up the list he wrote me all those months ago and waved it under his nose. He took it from my hand and looked at it almost as though he was seeing it for the first time._

"_I need to tell you one thing Annie. Just one and then I promise I will never talk about it again."_

_I tensed. These conversations never went well. I felt myself nod uncertainly._

"_You know when you were in that tunnel and I disappeared?" _

_I nodded again, even more certain that I didn't want to hear this. _

"_I went home Annie. Back to procedural meetings and suits and computers. I was home… I went to see my Mum…"_

_He sounded wistful. I sat up, pulling the covers around me._

"_Yay." I said trying to sound bright. "So… why did you come back? That was all you ever wanted. 'I bloody hate 1973' remember?"_

_He moved next to me. His eyes searching mine. "But I realised something. It all meant nothing to me."_

"_Why?" I asked. _

_Tearing the list in half and half again he looked surprised. "You're the one with the degree in Psychology. I thought it would have been obvious?"_

_I shook my head._

"_I came back because I love you."_


	10. Reasonable Doubt pt 1

**A/N The following chapter contains scenes of female sexual assault that certain readers may find upsetting. If this is applies to you please skip this chapter. I have tried not to make things too heavy and nothing is explicit but please do not read it if you feel it will distress you. Thanks.**

* * *

><p><em>28th November 1973<em>

_It's shameful really. Sam is still here, in fact we haven't been apart for about thirty six whole hours. We eventually got up late on Saturday. Having already planned to go to the trade hall to see Roxy Music that evening, we went to Sam's bed-sit to pick up some clean clothes, and then he took me to a very nice restaurant for lunch._

_After the gig Sam came back to my flat. This time I wasn't the slightest bit nervous. We were already trying to rip each others clothes off as we stepped through the front door. It's like we can't get enough of each other. I'm not exactly sure what's come over me, but I quite like it._

_As a result we were both still lying in bed late Sunday morning when there was a knock at the door._

_We just looked at each other. Sam I think, praying that it wasn't the Guv and me that it wasn't my mother!_

_I hastily pulled on a dressing gown and went to the door._

_I wasn't prepared for who was on the other side. "Neil!" I gasped._

_He stood there awkwardly on the doorstep. "Annie… yes… I've um… I've um been thinking about things, the way we broke up after university, when you wanted to join the police force. I wondered if you would like to go for a drink. I think there are some things we need to discuss."_

_I cringed for him. "I don't really think there is anything to talk about." I said as gently as I could._

_"Ah… well… you see. I still stand by my opinion that the police are institutional thugs, but I thought you might have come around. And then that business with Sam, I'm not too proud to admit that I was jealous which I see now could have been completely unfound…"_

_He stopped mid word. His attention had been caught by Sams' jacket lying where it had been abandoned the night before. Neil peered into through the doorway his eyes following the trail of clothes, some of them clearly belonging to a man._

_"Oh." He said. "You have company…" His brow furrowed. "I thought you said you were saving yourself?"_

_Sam chose that moment to wander out from the bedroom. Fortunately his jeans had been one of the last things to go last night so he had put them on. But that was about all. He bent down and picked up his shirt._

_I thought Neils' eyes were going to pop out of his head._

_"Ah, the man who thought taking a definitive step would be a good idea." Sam said amiably as he buttoned the shirt. "You have no idea how helpful that advice actually was in the end."_

_Neils' mouth was opening and closing like a goldfish._

_Suddenly he turned to me his hands grasping my shoulders. "I can see what's going on here Annie. It's wrong, he had no right. What did he tell you, that you'd never go any further in the force? That he would make your life hell? You don't have to do what he says Annie."_

_I shook my head. "No… Neil… I don't know what you mean."_

_Sam rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. "What he means Annie, is that he believes a superior officer – that would be me- either coerced or bullied you into sleeping with him."_

_Neil pushed me behind him, his fists balled awkwardly, he waved them at Sam._

_"I used to box you know…" He said hopping from foot to foot._

_Sam genuinely looked surprised. "You have got to be kidding me!"_

_"I'm not … You should prepare to defend yourself. What you've done… it's… illegal… it's immoral… it's…"_

_"None of your damned business!" Sam stepped forward. I could see he was getting angry at Neils' insinuations. Time to break things up before they got out of hand._

_I stepped in front of Neil placing my hands on each of his fists. "Neil, listen." I had his attention._

_"He took advantage of you Annie." Neil said uncertainly, "Of your good nature. All that stuff about being from the future… he drew you in… You would have seen sense and come back to me."_

_"No… no… I wouldn't." I wasn't sure how to explain myself. "I love him!"_

_Neil looked as thought all of the wind went out of him. His arms relaxed. "You…?"_

_"I love him, yes. And I'm sorry if that hurts you, but I can't help the way I feel."_

_"I'll just…" Sam said before disappearing back into the bedroom._

_And I did, every word was true as I explained everything. Sam was going to stay and that was the only thing that mattered. As I closed the door behind Neil. I hadn't heard Sam come back. He put his arms around me and lay his head against my shoulder._

_"I love you too." He said.._

Alex stared at the page. It warmed her heart a little, but she was still angry. Sam had still covered up whatever evil scheme Litton was in on. She could almost excuse Annie… almost. She was a WDC, she didn't have any influence, but Sam. This was wasting time. She flicked back to 1976 desperately hoping to get some answers.

_18th December 1976_

_I called Neil today. I'd been trying to pluck up the courage. I wanted an objective opinion as to whether I was going completely mad. Unsurprisingly my phone call out of the blue met with a frosty reception._

_"So things are not working out with the crazy superior officer. Get bored did he and move on to talking to trees?" He said, unable to keep the glee out of his voice._

_"It's not that. Things are great… we got married" It was true things were perfect between me and Sam._

_"Oh." Neil sounded annoyed. "So why are you calling me?"_

_I agreed to meet with Neil later in the week in the hope that face to face I might not sound quite so insane._

_Work at least gave me an opportunity to escape my own thoughts._

_There was a lead we had to follow up at a rather interesting shop in town. I'd gone out with Ray to take a statement. As we approached it became apparent that this was a shop of particular interest of an adult nature. Ray froze as he realised he would have to walk into a sex shop with me._

_"You can't go in there!" He said, taking a drag from his fag._

_"We have to take a statement."_

_"But… but… **you** can't go in there!" Was all he could manage. "What would the boss say?"_

_"He would say, Annie where is that statement?"_

_"It's not right!"_

_In the end I had to go in on my own. Ray stayed outside smoking endless cigarettes and fidgeting, I could see him through the gaps in the blinds. Eventually I came out to find him almost beside himself with indignation. He said nothing all the way back to the station._

_We had barely been in CID five minutes before he stalked up to Sam._

_"It's not right!" Ray growled squaring up to his DI. "There is no way I would let a bird of mine go into a place like… that… it's not right!"_

_Sam looked up from his report and regarded the older man. "Annie is a police officer, just like you." He said dismissively._

_"She's also your bloody wife!" Ray was getting angrier by the minute. I thought the time had come to play peace maker._

_"It was all right Ray, really. It was just pictures of people with their dangly bits out."_

_DS Carling took a draw from his cigarette blowing the smoke into Sams' face. "It's not all right Cartwright… he should have sent Chris instead of you!"_

_"So the pair of you could spend the rest of the day in a thorough investigation of the merchandise?" Sam said waving the smoke away. "You know Ray, one day there will be shops like that catering especially for women. They'll be on the high street, not with blacked out windows, but just normal shops. The chain will even hold parties to sell their stuff…"_

_Ray looked disgusted. "No decent bird is going to be interested in that…You're… sick…" He said before stalking back to his desk._

_As usual I made a note of what Sam had prophesied._

* * *

><p><em>20th December 1976<em>

_We'd all been to a pre Christmas do. There was an open bar… courtesy of RCS which should have given us a warning. But no, the Guv said if Litton was prepared to put his hand in his pocket then we should do him the honour of drinking our own body weight in booze. I'm not a great drinker; however the Guv, Ray and Chris were taking things to an extreme. Before it got too messy Sam and I left._

_"Ray seems to have made a conquest?" Sam said as we walked home._

_I laughed. "There's no accounting for taste."_

_"Hers or his?"_

_The next morning I walked into CID to hear the tail end of Rays' account of the night before. Sam saw me come in and shook his head in resignation. I suspected some of it might have been quite graphic._

_"Nice one Raymondo!" The Guv said clapping his hands. "Get stuck in there my son... you know, after hearing that I could almost fancy my own missus."_

_I'd settled down to some overdue paperwork when Phyllis appeared. She had a look about her that suggested something terrible had happened. Unusually, she marched over to Sam's desk and whispered something in his ear. I could tell by the look on his face, this was bad. Shooting a glance at me he followed Phyllis out into the corridor. I took the hint and, as inconspicuously as I could, went after them._

_Sam was reading a report. Poor Phyllis looked as though she would rather be anywhere else._

_"Can I leave it with you boss?" She asked. I knew it had to be something really awful to have got the battle hardened WPC rattled._

_"Yes. Phyllis, thank you." Sam said._

_"What's up?" I asked as she made her escape._

_Sam paused for a moment. He shook the report at me. "That woman… the one that was with Ray last night…"_

_I smiled. "The one with the dodgy taste in men…"_

_"Indeed." But Sam wasn't smiling. "She's come in this morning… she's claiming what happened afterwards wasn't consensual."_

_It took a good few minutes for it to sink in. "You mean she is saying that Ray…?"_

_Sam nodded his head. He looked completely shocked._

_"But… But she was all over him last night…?"_

_"That's as may be… but this says otherwise. We're going to have to interview her Annie, I'd like you to be there as female officer present. It might not be very pleasant."_

_I could tell that Rays' words earlier must have stung a little._

_"Sam, in this job, life is very rarely hugs and puppies."_

_He gave a small smile and took a deep breath. "But first I have to go and tell the Guv."_

* * *

><p><em>"The dozy… rabid… ungrateful… evil… selfish… frigid…" The Guv had for once run out of words. "RAY!" He screamed from his office.<em>

_DS Carling got up wearily from his chair and sauntered over to the office. The door closed behind him._

_Chris glanced across at me, I could see the confusion and concern on his face._

_Judging by the amount of arm waving that was going on, Ray was not taking the news well._

_The door was practically wrenched off its hinges as Ray was about to storm out. Sam stopped him._

_"You cannot go down there Ray." He said in warning._

_"You try and stop me. I need to sort the stupid bitch out."_

_"After the allegations she's made she needs to be interviewed by someone else."_

_"I'll do it!" The Guv said._

_Sam sighed. "It needs to be someone who doesn't have the sensitivity of a two ton wrecking ball."_

_"Oh so you're going to do it then?" Ray raged. "I bet you'll just love that, get all the details about what it is to be a real bloke. I might as well start clearing my desk out now then."_

_"We'll follow the evidence Ray. Why don't you give your statement to the Guv… this time without the more colourful language?"_

_The Guv looked thoughtful. He put a hand on the DS's shoulder. "Right now, what you need Raymondo is a picky, pedantic pain in the arse. Luckily we have our very own one of those."_

_Sam motioned to me to follow him._

_"You're not taking Cartwright down there!" Ray said shocked._

_"We need a female officer, unless you want Chris to put on a dress and some lipstick Annie is the best candidate. We're going to have to do this by the book."_

* * *

><p><em>The woman sat in lost property fiddling with her cigarette. She must have been in her early forties with badly dyed auburn hair and too much makeup. She looked up as we walked in. The WPC waiting with her discretely left the room.<em>

_Sam placed the tape recorder on the table and pressed the record buttons._

_Interview with Mrs…" Sam read the report again. "Mrs Janice Reeves, __DI Tyler and DC Cartwright in attendance."_

_"You've made a very serious complaint against Detective Sergeant Ray Carling" Sam began._

_The woman glanced at the tape machine and flicked her ash on the floor in defiance._

_"Yeah I did. After what that bastard did."_

_"Right… could you explain to me and DC Cartwright exactly what happened?"_

_"Came back to my house dint 'e? I was a bit tipsy so I wanted to get some kip. Next thing I know 'e's all over me, pawing like a bloody dog. I told 'im to piss off, but he dint take no notice. Then 'e left."_

_"So you are saying that you told DS Carling no?"_

_"That's what I just said weren't it?"_

_"And despite this he still continued?"_

_"Yeah. And my neighbour Vic, he works the night shift… he seen 'im running away." She said firmly._

_"What about your husband Mrs Reeves, it was late, was he not at home?"_

_"'e buggered off years ago wiv some tart from Barnsley. What's that got to do with it?"_

_"I'm just trying to establish the facts."_

* * *

><p><em>Sam looked pensive as we escorted Mrs Reeves out of the building. "Do you think he did it?" I asked.<em>

_"I have no doubt after his very detailed story this morning that they did have sex. What we need to establish is whether she did say no, and if she's lying then why?"_

* * *

><p><em>The four of us stood in the Guvs' office. "Open and shut case." Gene said. "She's obviously lying." He patted Rays statement in front of him. "The stupid bitch realised her husband would find out what she'd been up to so made up this cock and bull story to get herself out of the shit."<em>

_Sam and I exchanged a look. "Husband?" He said._

_"Yeah." Ray said as if the matter was all sewn up. "I had to leave cos her husband was on night shift and she didn't want him to catch her at it. First I'd heard of the bloke, but I didn't want to risk meeting him. Good job I did too, just saw him coming round the corner as I legged it."_

_"Mrs Reeves claims that her husband no longer lives with her and the man you saw was in fact her neighbour." Sam said with exaggerated patience. "Basically without any other proof, it's your word against hers. It has to be proven beyond reasonable doubt."_

* * *

><p><em>23rd December 1976<em>

_Neil came round to the house today. I had managed to take some time off to get the last of my Christmas shopping done. I knew Sam would be working so it seemed the perfect time to get Neils' opinion. His nose crinkled with disdain as he walked in. "How very 'suburban'." He said._

_"We like it." I tried to be bright and cheerful._

_I'd already prepared Sams' list with the things ticked off that had actually happened. I also had a notebook with other things that he'd said would happen. Little slips like the supposed chain of sex shops just for women. I stood nervously by as Neil read them. "You called me here just for… this?" He said indicating the paperwork._

_"Yes." I bit my bottom lip. "What do you think?"_

_He took a step towards me. "What do I think about what? This charade?"_

_I was confused. "What charade. Neil you're a psychologist, I want your unbiased opinion."_

_He nodded his head. "I think I know what's going on. You've finally realised your mistake haven't you? I knew it would happen. What is it? He's violent? Out all night drinking and sleeping with other women? I know the sort... police!" He almost spat the word._

_"What?" I said in amazement. "No… Sam and I are very happy, I just wanted you to look over these things and give me your opinion on whether I am going mad… or whether he might have been telling the truth... he might have been in a coma in 2006?"_

_"So you can justify why he clicked his fingers and you leapt into bed with him!" Neil sneered. "We had been courting for two years… two whole years… and you wouldn't even let me touch you."_

_I began to feel a little frightened. "We were students, Neil. We went out together… I was young, I just wasn't ready…"_

_"You weren't ready… but you obviously need me now, why else would you have asked me here after you rubbed my nose in it all those years ago. I can read you like a book and you are saying you want me." He lunged at me grabbing hold of my shirt which ripped as I struggled. He was trying to force his mouth onto mine. I lifted my knee hitting him squarely in the balls. He folded forwards with a groan. It was then I looked up to see Sam standing in the doorway._

_He looked murderous._


	11. Reasonable Doubt pt 2

Alex stared at the page. Was this the point when Sam finally snapped?

* * *

><p><em>24<em>_th__ December 1976_

_Sam didn't come home last night. _

_Yesterday, after he'd hauled Neil to his feet, handcuffed him and dragged him out of the house into the car, we drove straight to the station. _

_Neil was gabbling. "She invited me. It was obvious what she wanted… then she must have seen you coming and changed her mind. I'm a psychologist… I can read all the signals… This is not my fault!"_

_Sam didn't say a word, he stared straight ahead at the road. I noticed his knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel._

"_It wasn't like that. Sam, I can explain…" I pleaded._

_He took a deep breath but refused to speak. The only thing he had said since he arrived home was to ask me if I was ok. After that… nothing._

* * *

><p><em>As soon as Neil was booked in Sam ran up the stairs to CID. I was out of breath by the time I caught up.<em>

"_You all right luv?" Gene Hunt asked in a rare moment of sensitivity._

"_Yes… where's Sam?"_

"_Got the mother of all ants' nests up his arse, first Ray and now this. We're going to interview the bastard now."_

"_You and Sam?" I couldn't quite keep the fear out of my voice. "He's not himself Sir…" I began._

"_Don't worry Cartwright. I'll stop Tyler from 'actually' killing him." _

_Somehow this did not inspire me with confidence. "I don't want to press any charges Sir. I just need to talk to Sam."_

_Hunt regarded me carefully. "The bloke attacked you and you don't want to press charges?" _

"_I need to talk to Sam." I said doggedly._

"_Locker room… knock yourself out but somehow I doubt he's in the mood for listening."_

* * *

><p><em>I wasn't sure what I would find, but I had to go and try to reason with Sam anyway. He was sitting with his back to the lockers, his eyes closed.<em>

"_Sam?" I said quietly. His eyelids flickered for a moment. _

"_Not now Annie."_

"_Please Sam, I need to explain." He was going to have to hear this whether he liked it or not. I squatted down next to him and told him everything. I described all the notes I had been taking, checking out things that had been on the list… I told him about the song, Somebody to Love. When I'd finished he still hadn't moved._

"_Sam, talk to me… please?"_

_He opened his eyes and looked at me. "So, you who got so angry when I repeatedly told you where I was from, until I promised I would stop talking about it. You remember that Annie? You then decided that perhaps I was an interesting social experiment that you and your ex boyfriend could do together. So you invited him to our house when you thought I wouldn't be there."_

"_No… I wanted to prove that you were right."_

"_I believed in you Annie, why couldn't you just believe in me?" He said getting to his feet. There was so much hurt and disappointment in his eyes I felt like my heart would break._

_He looked at me for a good few minutes before turning and walking out of the door. I followed, I had to make him listen. Sam is so stubborn when he gets an idea into his head._

* * *

><p><em>Unfortunately he made it to CID before I could catch him. Opening the doors I couldn't believe what I was seeing. DCI Litton in tuxedo and sparkly bow tie with two other RCS officers.<em>

"_Just off to the Mayors Christmas bash. You going Gene? Oh no of course not, it's for decorated officers only… silly me." Litton was saying as he puffed on his cigarette._

"_What do you want Litton? Popped in to give the fairy on the Christmas tree her outfit back?" Hunt snapped._

"_No Gene. I have come here in the spirit of the festive season. I understand one of your officers seems to have found himself in a spot of bother."_

_I saw Sams' head snap up in interest._

"_Nasty business, and after our own do as well… I can't help feel somewhat… responsible." Litton had a smug self satisfied smile on his face that I was dying to slap away._

_The Guv walked right up to Litton, easily over shadowing the smaller DCI. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that now Derek would you?" You could have sliced tomatoes with the tone of his voice._

"_Me? No Gene… but I do know the lady concerned. Fine upstanding pillar of the community." _

"_An officer has been suspended on the word of that fine upstanding pillar of the community." Sam growled._

"_Well, in the heat of the moment… things can be said… Consider it my gift to you that the lady withdraws all charges… it is possible she may have been mistaken."_

"_You bastard Litton… you put her up to this!" I thought the Guv was going to strangle him._

"_Now, now Gene." Litton said, walking around the Guv. "In the spirit of the season, I provide you with a gift and in return you provide me with a gift of equal value?"_

"_Such as?" Sam asked._

"_Such as a certain file that I know you have in your possession. A file which one Peter Royce may have supplied you with. I know you were waiting for the young man to come back from his holidays, but if you hand it over to me now we'll say no more about it."_

_The Guv's eyes narrowed. "You set up one of my officers. He could lose his livelihood, his pension… all of that so you could cover up your sordid little secrets?"_

"_And no copies mind. So if you'd like to hand it over now…"_

_Hunt hesitated._

"_Guv?" Sam said._

"_You bring that dozy mare in here tomorrow. I want a full statement from her that she made the whole bloody thing up. If she's lucky she won't get too long for wasting police time. Once I have that… you get your file."_

_Litton must have realised this was the best he was going to get. "Ok… but I even get a hint that files been near a copier and the deals off."_

"_You have my word." Hunt said holding out his hand. Litton shook it grudgingly and left with his sparkly companions._

"_You can't be serious Guv."_

"_Raymondos' career is at stake Sammy-boy. The bastard may get away with this one, but there will be a time when it all comes back to bite him on the arse… I might even one day transfer you to his unit. Now don't we have a certain nonce to interview?"_

_Sam picked up a tape recorder and, without even giving me a glance, stormed out of the office._

"_He's angry luv." The Guv said almost kindly. _

"_He has nothing to be angry about." I knew this was my DCI but I was banging my head against a brick wall. "He is usually the voice of reason in this office, now he's completely gone off the deep end."_

"_I think when it comes to you reason goes out of the window. I told him not to get involved with bloody women! Meanwhile take this file down to Phyllis. Tell her under no circumstances are the contents to be shown to any of the officers… especially not the WPC's you understand?" He winked._

_I took the file and nodded. "And Sam..?" I asked._

"_Don't worry, I'll talk some sense into him."_

_And like I said… Sam didn't come home last night._

* * *

><p>Alex sighed. So Litton did get away with something and Gene let him to save Ray. Was there no depth that the weasel Litton wouldn't stoop to? And Sam and Annie…? They hadn't split up, Alex was sure of that, but was this where the problems started?<p>

The entry continued.

_I didn't sleep a wink last night waiting for Sam. When it got to six am I decided to go into the office. It was Christmas Eve and my husband had gone missing. I walked into a deserted CID. That was until I heard the snoring. The Gov was stretched out in his chair, his feet on the desk, head back and mouth wide open. Even as I approached the office I could smell the whisky. There seemed to be no sign of Sam. _

_Creeping so that I wouldn't wake DCI Hunt, I began to search the floor. Still no luck. I finally found Sam stretched out, fast asleep, in the locker room. I can't begin to describe my relief although he didn't smell much better than the Guv._

_Crouching down next to him, I couldn't resist stroking his forehead. He stirred and opened his eyes. _

"_Annie." He croaked struggling to sit up. He held his head in his hands. "Oh my god I feel like I have been beaten over the head with an iron bar!"_

_It seemed like the light was hurting his eyes as he tried to look at me. _

"_You didn't come home… I was worried." I began._

"_Yeah… Gene… Scotch… lots and lots of Scotch…" He put his head back in his hands._

_I wanted to ask about Neil… but at that moment I daren't. In Sams' current hung over state at least he was talking to me._

"_Would you like me to get you some coffee and pain killers?" _

_He nodded, I noticed he winced at the movement._

_When I got back Sam was lying down again. His face was white as a sheet._

"_Here." I said nudging him. Slowly he took the tablets and the coffee, swallowing both._

"_Thanks." He said. _

"_No problem." I was going to leave him to sleep it off but he grabbed my hand._

"_Annie, I understand why you did what you did."_

_I crouched down next to him. "It can't have been easy for you." He continued. "I come out with things without thinking. It was only a matter of time before you would start to get curious, that's the copper in you. I was just angry you didn't talk to me about it… instead you went to…" It was as though he couldn't even say his name._

"_I didn't want to upset you. After I'd made you promise not to talk about it I didn't think it was fair to drag it all up again. But I did need a second opinion. I swear to you though, I never gave him any reason to think…" I stopped as Sam put his arms around me. I returned the embrace. _

"_I know…" He whispered into my hair. "Gene said some things… I don't really remember… but they made sense at the time… there was a lot of Scotch."_

_I pulled away. "I can tell... you smell like a brewery."_

"_Sorry." Sam made a face. _

"_I'll see you later when you're feeling a bit more human." I said kissing him on the forehead..._

_I had something I had to do. I crept into the Guvs' office leaving two painkillers and a large cup of coffee. I thought he was still asleep. As I turned to leave I heard him stir._

"_I told you I'd sort it." He said dozily before pulling his jacket up and turning over._

* * *

><p><em>Phyllis was on the front desk. <em>

"_What happened to the suspect that Sam brought in yesterday?" I asked. _

_She smiled knowingly. "Boss released him at about three this morning. Came in with the Guv, the pair of them, absolutely plastered, singing…well I wont tell you what they were singing but I had a couple of working girls in here blushing like nuns . I don't think either of them could actually stand without hanging on to the other."_

"_Was Neil?" _

"_In full possession of all his arms and legs… not a scratch on 'im." She smiled and lit an unfiltered cigarette. "They went and had a quiet word with him… and I kept an eye on them luv, don't you worry. Apart from the knee shaped bruise that was apparently on his bits and pieces he went out quiet as a lamb with the fear of god in' im."_

_Coppers love to gossip._

"'_Ere." She said conspiratorially. "That file you brought down yesterday… you had a look in it?"_

_I shook my head. In all the panic about Sam it hadn't occurred to me._

_She handed it over with a sly grin. "You haven't seen these right?"_

_I opened the folder. Inside were a pile of photographs. They must have been taken by Peter Royce._

Alex leaned forward in her seat. "What was Litton up to?"

_They each featured DCI Litton. Clearly he had been visiting some of the more illustrious brothels in the city._

"_Is that a maids' outfit!" I laughed out loud.._

_Phyllis nodded. "Doesn't really go with the moustache though does it?"_

_According to the notes, Peter had been writing a thesis on the sex industry for his degree. In the process of his investigations one regular client stood out. He photographed this man in the hope that he may be persuaded to give the view of the consumer for Peters' dissertation. However once he approached Litton and discovered who he was, he needed police protection fast… and who better to give it than Littons' rival Gene Hunt._

So that was it! Alex couldn't believe it. Litton had threatened to destroy Rays' career just because he'd been caught with some rather odd kinks. Ok not something you'd want to get out in a nick, but hardly something to commit murder over.

* * *

><p><em>True to his word Litton arrived in the afternoon with Janice Reeves. Once the statement had been signed Gene Hunt dutifully handed over the file. Littons' relief was short lived. Every available officer must have been in the station as he left, there was a lot of whispering and sniggering. A few of the girls giggled as he walked past, someone even wolf whistled. By the time he got to the front desk Litton was a nervous wreck. <em>

"_Hunt!" He shouted._

"_Didn't go anywhere near a copier Litton… but coppers, they have long memories!" The Guv shouted back laughing._

_I have never seen anyone shoot out of a police station so quickly with the jeers and catcalls ringing in his ears._

"_Don't think that little tosser will be showing his face around here for a while." The Guv said cheerfully taking a swig from his hip flask. He tipped it upside down. _

"_Bugger! Somebody get me to the pub, it's an emergency!"_

* * *

><p>Natural justice. Alex thought. The way Gene always works. No wonder he hadn't seen Litton until the little worm turned up in Fenchurch East.<p>

There was a footnote.

_Ray is back in the office, the Guv told me to ring and said to get his lazy skiving arse back in here on the double. Everything was back to normal… or so I hoped._

_We walked back from the pub in silence. I couldn't help but notice Sam had only been drinking orange juice despite being called a great soft nancy-boy by the Guv._

"_Hair of the dog Dorothy, that's what you need!" He'd bellowed, downing his third double._

"_A new bloody liver is what I'll need if I carry on like you." Sam had snapped back._

* * *

><p>"<em>Are you feeling better?" I'd asked once we settled on the sofa.<em>

"_Yeah… look, I'm sorry I didn't come home last night…"_

_I shrugged. "Apparently, the state you were both in, you was lucky to be able to find a dirty great police station… I'm not surprised you couldn't find one little house."_

_He smiled sheepishly. "It was quite a night."_

"_So I heard… Sam… we need to talk about what I've found out... I believe you, I believe you were in 2006."_

"_Can't we do that later?" He asked. He looked so vulnerable._

"_You're still hung over aren't you?" _

_He held his forefinger and thumb about an inch apart. "A little." _

_He lay down with his head in my lap. "Right now, it's Christmas Eve and what I believe is I have the most beautiful, understanding wife, who occasionally I don't think I deserve, and all I want to do is enjoy it Ok? We can talk about everything else later. Just now I want it to be you and me… together… while I wait for Santa to bring me a new head."_

_I stroked his hair. He was right we were together, that was all that mattered right now. Everything else could wait._


	12. Breaking up is hard to do

"Gene?" Alex began.

"What now Drake?" The Guv snapped looking up from his newspaper, his feet propped up on the desk.

"There's a call for you." She said quietly.

The DCI regarded her for a few moments. "So why you being all secret squirrel about it? I get lots of phone calls, I'm a popular bloke."

Alex bit her bottom lip. There was something about the gesture that caused a look of recognition to come over Genes' face. He shook it off.

"Well come on Bolly, what's the big mystery, spit it out!"

"It's a woman, she says she's the former Mrs Hunt?"

Gene seemed to sag in his seat. "Today was going so well too." He said gruffly. "Put her through."

Alex discreetly closed the door behind her as she moved back to her desk and transferred the call. She knew she should have put the phone down, she knew that eavesdropping on her boss was wrong. But this was too good an opportunity to miss. Instead she hit the mute button. Making a big play of almost putting the receiver down, she picked it up again and put it to her ear while pretending to dial.

The womans' voice was cultured, something Alex would never have expected.

"How are you getting on down in London?" Mrs Hunt was asking.

"Rose, you didn't bloody ring me to find out about my health. What do you want?"

The woman sighed. "There's no need to curse Gene."

"I can curse if I want to. Bugger, shit, bollocks… see?"

Alex smirked. He was acting like a five year old.

"I see London society hasn't improved your manners any." Rose said curtly.

"My manners are none of your concern anymore remember..? Now what the bloody, soddin' hell do you want woman, I'm busy!"

"Right. I need your help…"

Gene cut her off mid sentence. "You've got a bloody nerve. Why the hell should I possibly want to help you?"

"Because it's what you do Gene." Rose said simply.

Alex suspected this woman was well used to dealing with Gene Hunt and his outbursts. 'I wonder if they gave her a medal?' She thought.

"It's my Auntie Maud. You remember Auntie Maud, she was always fond of you Gene?"

"Four foot nothing, blue rinse, smoked like a chimney and could drink sherry like it was going out of fashion… the old bugger still alive, she must be a hundred and two?"

"She is very much alive Gene. She lives down there, you remember?"

"Yes… yes… I remember… what about her?"

"I was talking to her on the phone yesterday. She was in a right state. She answered the door to the Gas man and while she was talking to him she thinks someone must have come in and stolen her pension money… from what I could gather there were quite a few other things taken too."

"Bastards!" Gene swore.

"For once I agree with you. She's very frightened Gene, she thinks they might have taken her spare door keys as well."

"What about plod, has she called them?" The Guv was suddenly all business.

"She didn't want to bother them. In truth I think she feels a bit foolish for letting the man in." Rose explained.

"Give me her address, I'll pay the old bird a visit."

"Thank you Gene. I really appreciate this."

"No problem. We can't have toe-rags going around terrorising sherry pickled old ladies on my manor." He said gruffly.

Alex put the phone down quickly as Gene stormed out of his office. "Drake… seeing how you decided to listen in, you can come with me. Some real community policing."

* * *

><p>The Quatro skidded to a halt at a tenement block. Gene glanced at a scrap of paper before striding off towards one of the stairways. Alex had to almost run to keep up.<p>

"So I get to meet one of your family?" She said cheekily.

"Not my family any more." He snapped.

We found the flat. Alex could have sworn he took a deep breath before banging on the door.

After a few minutes the door was opened a crack. "Yes?" Came a frail voice from inside.

"Maud luv, it's me, Gene."

The door opened a little further. A pale elderly face squinted at them.

"Gene?" She said.

"Gene. I was married to Rose?"

The door was suddenly flung open with a strength that belied the old ladys' size. "Genie, what a wonderful surprise!" She threw her arms around him although her head only reached the Guvs' chest. He stood there awkwardly patting her back, clearly embarrassed. "Come in… come in…" She said beckoning them into the tiny flat.

"This is Detective Inspector Drake." Gene indicated his DI.

Maud gave her a steely stare. "Not the new wife then?" She said tilting her head almost birdlike.

"Good lord no! Alex... please."

She gave a quick nod before completely disregarding her.

"What happened to that nice young man?"

"Young man?" Alex asked.

"Very good looking young man, always so polite… had a lovely wife too… Alice?"

"Annie?"

"That was it. Annie. I have never seen two people so completely devoted to each other…If you'd have behaved a bit more like that young man…" She tapped Gene on the chest.

"Maud… if we could avoid being dragged kicking and screaming down memory lane?" Gene snapped. "We've come to talk to you about the Gas man."

"I need a drink after that… the old bat could certainly go on!" The Guv said when they finally left.

* * *

><p>CID was suddenly thrown into a frenzy of activity. If there was someone praying on little old ladies DCI Gene Hunt wanted their head on a spike. Alex took the opportunity to slip back and see Auntie Maud.<p>

The old lady was just as cautious as she opened the door. Drake handed over her warrant card and waited as it was thoroughly checked.

"Alice wasn't it?" She said eventually.

"Alex."

The woman nodded and indicated that she should come in.

"Cup of tea dear?"

Alex smiled. "Why don't I make it?"

When they were settled in the tiny sitting room, the old lady looked at DI Drake questioningly.

"I wanted to ask you a little bit more about Sam Tyler?" Alex began.

"Sam?"

"The nice young man who used to work for Gene?"

"Oh he was so lovely." Maud gushed. "Such manners."

"How did he and Gene get along?"

Maud frowned. "What do you mean dear?"

"I mean was there any animosity between them, did they fight or argue?"

"Oh all the time!" The woman laughed. "I think that young Sam was probably the only person who ever stood up to Genie… apart from our Rose of course."

"So they didn't like each other?"

Maud looked confused. "That's not what I said dear. It was just their way… but I tell you something, I don't think our Genie would have survived when Rose finally sent him packing if it hadn't been for his friend."

"You believe they were friends?"

"Of course dear… the greatest friends… Like I said. It was that young Detective Inspector that got Gene through the worst."

"Maud, if you can remember… when was it that Rose and Gene split up?"

* * *

><p><em>5th September 1977<em>

_"TYLEEEERRR!"_

_Sam froze. This was not the greatest moment to be disturbed._

_"If we stay really quiet do you think he'll go away?" I said kissing his neck._

_"I think if we stay quiet he'll probably break the door down." He made a face. "Sorry" He pecked me on the lips before getting out of bed and putting on his jeans and a shirt. I heard him pad quietly down the stairs towards the front door._

_"TYLEEEER!" This was accompanied by pounding on the glass. And I wondered why the neighbours seemed a bit stand offish sometimes._

_I could hear them talking as I wearily got out of bed and began to dress._

_"Gene…What's the problem, oh Jesus… look at the state of you!"_

_"What'r'ya doing in bed at…"_

_I could imagine the Guv trying to look at his watch._

_"Midnight Gene… and as for what I was doing, don't think I'll forgive you for interrupting. How much have you had?"_

_"I'm not drunk!"_

_There was a crash._

_The view that greeted me from the top of the stairs was the Guv face down on the carpet. Sam looked up at me and shrugged his shoulders._

_"Do you think you could give me a hand with him?"_

_With a firm grip under each of his armpits we managed to half carry, half drag him into the living room. It took supreme effort to get him onto the sofa. "I hope to God he didn't drive here." Sam muttered._

_"Annie… our Annie…" Gene burbled as he drunkenly patted my face. I've always liked you Annie luv… yur'lright for a bird."_

_"I'll make him some coffee." I said extracting myself._

_"Don't want coffee… Scotch!" He said trying to stand and waving his arm about, just missing Sams' head. He collapsed back onto the seat._

_I went through to the kitchen to put the kettle on._

_"What are you doing here Gene?" Sam asked._

_"I came for a drink." The Guv replied. By the time I got back he had his arm around Sams' shoulder, he was swaying slightly._

_"You shoulda been in the pub tonight Sammy-boy. You don't get out enough… CARTWRIGHT!" He suddenly bellowed._

_"I'm right here Guv." I said glancing anxiously at Sam._

_"You don't let this boy out enough. He needs to be out wiv the lads… bonding."_

_"Drinking you mean?" I said folding my arms._

_"Same fing."_

_"Sam was out with you last night!" I said exasperated. The fact that we go to the Railway Arms every night after work seemed to have escaped the Guv at the moment. More importantly I couldn't have stopped Sam staying out with them if he wanted to, most of the time he just didn't want to. It seemed an alien concept that he might actually want to spend time with me._

_"If you'd been there tonight Sammy, it wudna happened."_

_I could see Sam tense._

_"What wouldn't have happened?"_

_Hunt suddenly looked very green around the gills. Before I could even move he had been violently sick on the carpet. I felt my shoulders sag._

_"Annie… I'll do…"_

_I cut Sam off short. "I'll do it... I'll do it." I said through gritted teeth as I went into the kitchen to fetch a cloth and a bowl._

_"What did you do Gene?" Sam was asking. The Guv was laid back across the sofa. His eyes closed._

_"I dint do nothing." He said sulkily. "She did."_

_As I cleared up the mess Sam caught my eye. He looked as confused as I felt._

_"She likes you Sam." The Guv had managed to sit up, and after several attempts settled a hand on Sams' shoulder. "She'll listen to you."_

_"Gene… who will listen to me?"_

_"The missus…" Hunt hiccupped. "After everything I've done for her… ungrateful cow… She's thrown me out_…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN Go on... hands up... who thought the break up would be Sam and Annie? As if I would do that to you! :)**


	13. Three's a Crowd

_6__th__ September 1977_

_Sam walked through the front door, as soon as he saw me he shook his head. I could tell that his chat with Rose Hunt had been less than successful. He followed me into the kitchen._

"_How's he been?" He said in a voice just over a whisper._

"_Unconscious mostly. I take it Rose is not in a forgiving mood?"_

"_You could say that. I've always wondered how she managed to put up with him… apparently she's had about as much as she could stand. She's not budging Annie."_

"_Perhaps after a few days?" I said hopefully._

_Sam did not look convinced._

"_So what do we do?"_

_He rubbed his hands over his face. "First, I have to tell him."_

* * *

><p><em>Whether it was the hangover, or the shock I don't know but the Guv took the news surprisingly well. He nodded a couple of times. There were no questions just an acceptance. I should have known it wouldn't be that simple.<em>

_We got through most of the day, until…_

'_Ere I got this joke for ya Ray." Chris said grinning._

_Ray looked up._

"_This bloke was speeding the other day. I gave chase, the old bells and whistles, he still carried on. Eventually he stopped. I couldn't really be bothered with the paperwork so I said 'If you can give me an excuse I haven't heard before I'll let you off."_

_The bloke said." Chris giggled. "He said, 'Well mate, my wife ran off with a copper and I was worried you was trying to give her back!"_

_The Guv froze, his full attention on the unfortunate Chris. The poor lad didn't realise what he'd said or how that joke could not have come at a more inopportune time._

"_You trying to be funny?" Hunt growled._

_Chris was still laughing and glancing at Ray. He didn't even see the first punch coming. DS Skelton hit the floor like a sack of potatoes. Hunt grabbed his collar and hauled him to his feet, only to hit him again. Fat lot of use Ray was, he just stood there with his mouth hanging open. _

"_Guv!" I must have screamed it, but there was no way I could stop the Manc lion when his temper was up._

_He aimed a kick at Chris's ribs. The DC was curled up on the floor, trying to protect himself._

_Sam suddenly came flying across the room, grabbed Gene by the lapels and pushed him out of the way. I noticed he positioned himself between the Guv and Chris._

"_What the bloody hell are you doing?" He yelled._

"_Nothing to do with you Tyler, get out of the way." The Guv yelled back._

"_I'm making it something to do with me, and I'm not going anywhere. You're overreacting"_

"_Tylerrrrr." Hunt warned. "I never… ever… overreact."_

"_Sam?" I said, the whole scene was terrifying._

"_Annie, stay out of this, just get Chris to the medical room." Sam said then continued to address the enraged DCI. "Calm down Guv, he didn't mean anything." He stepped forwards, his hands open in front of him._

_Hunts fist caught him squarely on the jaw. "'E was taking the piss!"_

_I was holding my breath._

_Sam responded with a punch to Genes gut, the older man winced._

_Hunt shoved Sam backwards as I ran to Chris who was still lying on the floor. _

"_Stay out of it Tyler… I'm warning you!"_

"_Oh you're warning me are you? And that's supposed to do what, make me shake in my boots? I'm not afraid of you!"_

"_You bloody should be!" Hunt kicked out, catching Sam in the balls, he bent forwards gasping, almost in the same moment he lunged forwards catching the Guv around the waist, sheer momentum propelling them both into the office. The double doors vibrated to a stop._

"_Ray! Vince! Stop them, they'll kill each other!" I said as I tried to get Chris to his feet._

_DS Carling shrugged. "My moneys on the Guv… no contest." None of the other officers wanted to get involved, there was some head nodding and general murmurs. What was I supposed to do, get uniform to break it up? I had to trust that Sam knew what he was doing._

_It sounded like world war three was going on in Hunts' office. I tried to block it out. I managed to get Chris moving. He whimpered as he leaned against me. _

"_Can you give me a hand here Ray?" I asked._

_Carling looked scathingly at his 'friend'. The poof only had a little tap, and there is no way I'm missing this. 'Bout time the Guv put that tosser properly in his place." He put his cigarette into his smirking mouth and folded his arms._

_I'm not sure who was shaking more, me or Chris as we finally struggled down to the medical room. However my mind was firmly on the floor above. I dreaded the think what was going on. I checked Chris over and cleaned him up. The poor lad was still in shock, he barely moved or said anything. _

"_Just some cuts and bruises… you'll live." I said as cheerfully as I could. He just looked at me dolefully and shakily lit a cigarette. _

_I took the stairs back to CID two at a time all the while my stomach was in knots. Opening the doors the department was blissfully silent. The officers were standing around Rays' desk talking quietly. None of them seemed inclined to enter the Guvs' office, it looked like that would be down to me._

"_What's happening?" I asked._

_Ray shook his head in disgust. "Over before it begun really… now they're just sitting there on the floor, talking."_

_Steeling myself I was just about to approach the doors when they were thrown open from the inside. Sam and Gene Hunt strode out shoulder to shoulder. I could see bruises and some traces of blood but aside from that they seemed fine. I will never as long as I live understand men._

_Without a glance at anyone they made for the corridor. Sam stopped as he picked up his leather jacket. Leaning forward he kissed me on the cheek. "I'm gonna be late." He whispered in my ear._

"_Come on Dorothy, you bloody fairy!" The Guv yelled from down the hall. Sam rolled his eyes._

_I could just hear their conversation as Sam caught up. "I would like to stay married thank you very much."_

"_Yur whipped that's the bloody problem."_

"_I'm also not sleeping on someone elses' sofa."_

_And they were gone._

* * *

><p><em>20<em>_th__ September 1977_

_This has got to have been one of the longest two weeks of my life. At least everything is reasonably quiet at the moment. The pair of them are fast asleep, Sam is in bed and the Guv is stretched out on the sofa. I'm not sure why, we have a perfectly respectable spare bedroom, but he seems to prefer it there. _

_I tried to talk to Sam this morning about the list and the premonitions he had, or memories or whatever they are. Of course as he didn't get home until about two am so he wasn't exactly easy to get anything out of._

"_Sam, you awake?" I was sitting up in bed, the notes I'd made stretched out across the covers._

"_Mmmmm?" _

"_You were right about Richard Nixon, the IRA bombed the Hilton, and you said there would be punk rock music. Most of this is so accurate it's terrifying. Still on the list is something called Star Wars, the first female prime minister, mobile phones, lap tops and…" I squinted at the page, "Something called an walker-man?"_

"_Walkman." He muttered in his sleep and turned over._

"_Walkman." I corrected myself. "Just you haven't mentioned anything for a long time?"_

"_Sam?"_

"_Can't remember…" He murmured and pulled the covers up over his head._

_I sat nibbling on my bottom lip. This was hopeless. Collecting everything together I got up. _

So you were forgetting Sam? Alex thought. There was a slight element of panic. 'What if I start to forget too? Molly? My family?' She shuddered desperately not wanting to lose herself in this place. She had an urge to write down everything about her life in 2008; she must never forget where she was from, who she was.

Shaking off the fear she went back to the diary. If she was lucky Annie would provide the answers to get her home. She had to persevere.

_I was on my way out later this evening when they were just coming in, unusually early. Sam stopped in his tracks. I was wearing my red dress, one of Sams' favourites and my hair was piled up on top of my head._

"_Blimey Cartwright. Bit over the top for cooking the tea innit?" The Gov said as he pushed past me into the living room._

"_Wow! You look amazing!" Sam said, a sudden frown crossing his face. "I haven't forgotten anything important have I?" _

"_No." I said cheerfully. "I'm off out with some of the girls. They've got some free tickets to that new club in town, we thought we'd check it out, you don't mind do you?"_

"_No, 'course not." He said. He just stood there staring at me. I raised my eyebrows in question. _

"_What?"_

"_Nothing." He smiled and kissed me. "Do you want me to come pick you up when you're done?"_

_I must have looked surprised. _

"_I'm strictly not drinking tonight." _

"_Yeah of course you're not." I said laughing. I looked at my watch. "Oops, better go."_

_I left, feeling his eyes on me the entire way down the street._

* * *

><p><em>25<em>_th__ September 1977_

_I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. Apparently not very much. Today I finally reached the end of my patience. _

"_A strip club Sam. Really?" I said waving the ticket stub. I'd been sorting out some washing and found the slip in his jeans pocket._

_He managed to look sheepish. "Look it was late… it was the only place to get a dri…"_

"_I don't want to know!"_

"_Lighten up Cartwright; he can't be a boy scout all the bleedin' time. What is it, your time of the month?" The Guv said putting his feet on the coffee table._

"_Not helping Gene." Sam said with a pained look on his face._

_Something inside me snapped. "And you!" I said pointing a finger at Hunt._

"_How long are you going to wallow in this pit of self pity you've dug for yourself? I'm not surprised your wife had enough. You drink too much, you smoke too much, you sleep around, go to places like… this." I threw the stub at him. There was no stopping me._

_Genes' face was a picture._

"_You treat women as though they are something you just trod in. I have cooked for you, done your washing, I've even cleaned up your damned sick... SIR! And you dare to sit there in my home and make disgusting sexist comments at me! You eat like a pig and let's face it you're not exactly firm friends with personal hygiene. You don't know how to work a toilet seat that is if you actually manage to hit the toilet at all. You have an uncontrollable temper, you are rude and crass and… and…" It suddenly occurred to me that I was standing there telling my boss… the man who had the power to demote me to a traffic warden... that he was an animal._

_I turned around and stormed upstairs as I heard the Guv say crossly. "I do not eat like a pig!"_

_Sam followed a few seconds later. I heard a faint tapping on the bedroom door. _

"_Annie?"_

_Still annoyed I opened the door._

"_Look… I…" He started. He didn't get very far. I thrust a pillow and a blanket at him and slammed the door in his face._

Despite herself Alex smirked. She imagined Gene hadn't been told off like that very often, especially not by a 'mere' woman. It must have been quite a shock to the system. 'Annie Tyler, Gene was right, you did have more balls than any tart has a right to have.'

She yawned. However this turned out it would have to wait until tomorrow. Right now she wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and dream of telling Gene Hunt exactly what she thought of him too.


	14. An Announcement

_26__th__ September 1977_

_You'd actually be amazed how easy it is to stay out of someones' way in a police station, even if they work at a desk within spitting distance._

_I left early for work this morning. As I opened the bedroom door Sam was lying outside. What **is** wrong with the spare room? Anyway, he must have been sitting with his back to the door and eventually gone to sleep. I stepped over him and was out of the house before either of them stirred. _

_Phyllis was on earlies. "Blimey Annie, you wet the bed?" She asked as I crept in out of the rain._

"_I thought I'd get an early start." I said. _

_She nodded knowingly. "Still got the Guv as a house guest then?"_

_I rolled my eyes in answer and made my way to CID._

_Before long the kettle had boiled and I was half way through my first cup of tea. I had a plan. In police work, like any other job there are boring, mundane and downright dirty jobs that need to be done. As a result they tend to get piled up until somebody annoys the Guv enough and gets allocated them. I was going to do those jobs. It meant that for most of the day I would be in filing in the dark, dusty records office, out and about speaking to people who basically were time wasters and painstakingly picking through evidence bags and witness statements. Most important, I would not be in CID. _

_Things were going to plan. I'd finished a whole load of filing without being discovered and had gone out to see a Mrs Smith who claimed the man upstairs had trained his cats to mug passers by. _

_I had just taken her statement and stood up to leave when the room began to spin. I must have blacked out because when I came to I was slumped in my chair with the lady tapping my face. She looked terrified._

"_Um… I'm sorry." I said trying to shake off the dizziness. I felt sick to my stomach. "I'm sorry, could I please use your…?" She must have known what I meant because I was quickly directed through to the bathroom. As I crouched there over the bowl my stomach heaved again emptying the contents entirely._

_When I felt a little better I came out to find the worried Mrs Smith hovering outside the door. She handed me a glass of water sympathetically._

"_They're sending someone." She said._

"_Hmm?" I gulped the water gratefully. "You didn't phone an ambulance!"_

"_No dearie. I phoned the nice lady at the police station. She said that I wasn't to take any of your nonsense and to keep you sitting down until the car arrives."_

"_Oh… you didn't need to do that Mrs Smith, I'm fine really."_

_She smiled knowingly. "I was just the same dear. You best wait for them to pick you up. You don't want to go out there wiv them cats about, it's not safe."_

_How embarrassing, to be collected by police car and driven back to the station. It was only a ten minute walk. Phyllis was waiting for me, her face full of concern. She immediately ushered me into the medical room._

"_We never would have known where you were Annie luv. What if you'd been in real trouble, passing out like that! I've been trying to raise you on the radio?"_

_She handed me a damp cloth. It felt good against my skin._

_In my haste to stay out of the way I had switched it off._

"_The boss has been virtually turning the place upside down looking for you." She continued. "I thought he was going to start searching the bloody lockers. He's on the verge of getting every copper out combing the streets."_

"_Don't tell him I'm here." I pleaded._

_She nodded. "Trouble in paradise eh? Well I can't really hide you, what do you want me to do, stick a lampshade on your head and pretend you're part of the furniture?"_

_I smiled weakly as my stomach decided to do another impression of a washing machine._

"_Look it's none of my business Annie luv, but I take it there were words last night, not helped by the Guv having moved in to yours?"_

_There was not much got by Phyllis._

"_Your fella was tearing the Guv off a strip as I 'happened' to walk by CID this morning. No way to treat Annie after all she's done, etc, etc." She explained._

"_He was?"_

_She patted my hand. "The boss is not a bad lad. He just gets torn in all directions sometimes. And then of course there's that ignorant sod Carling. If his nose was any further out of joint he'd be able to stick it up his own backside."_

"_Ray?" I was confused._

"_Been put out since the Guv came to you after his troubles…Loving that that he and the boss were having a falling out, no doubt thought it would be handbags at dawn again. Stirring bugger…"_

"_Please tell me they didn't come to blows again." I leant back against the wall and closed my eyes._

"_Nope. And this is not something I say lightly luv, but I think the Guv was actually… sorry." She whispered the last word._

_I looked at her in amazement. "You're kidding! Now I know I'm light headed."_

"_Not that he'll ever admit it… look, let me go get the boss…"_

_I shook my head. "I'll be fine in a minute."_

"_He can take you home. Have you been to see the doctor?"_

_She took my hand, an unusual thing for Phyllis to do. "I think you know why you're not well luv?"_

_For some reason I felt my eyes filling up with tears. She patted my hand kindly. "You stay there. No running off anywhere. I'll go and get him."_

_I took a deep breath. My nausea was easing now and I was so angry with myself for being so weak. What was I going to say to Sam? This was hardly the opportune moment. The last time I spoke to him I was hysterical and frustrated. I threw him out of our bed!_

"_Annie! Are you ok? I've been worried sick!" He came into the room like a whirlwind gathering me up into his arms. "Where have you been? They said you were ill, what's the matter, why didn't you have your radio on?"_

"_Hang on, hang on… one thing at a time. Give the girl some air." Phyllis admonished._

"_I was a little faint that's all." I said as he pulled away. He took my face in one hand. "You look pale. Did you eat something… you didn't eat that curry in the fridge because believe me…"_

_I smiled. "No I didn't eat any curry. I'm fine honestly."_

_I saw Phyllis raise an eyebrow._

"_She fainted and she's nauseous?" She said. "I hope you were paying more attention when you got her into this?"_

_Sam looked from me to the WPC in confusion._

"_Oh for goodness sake… and you call yourself a bloody detective!" She snapped before striding out of the room._

_You could almost see the realisation as it hit him. He gazed into my face, wrinkling his nose slightly with a smile. "Annie? Tell me..."_

_I didn't know what to say. Actually I couldn't speak. The words caught in my throat. All I could do was nod._

_Suddenly I was being hugged to within an inch of my life, kisses being planted across my face. "That's wonderful, it's amazing!" He stepped back looking at me with the most stupid grin. "You're ok though? I should take you home. You should go home now. Put your feet up. I'll make you dinner, what do you want… you can have anything?"_

_I laughed. "You're babbling."_

"_I… don't… care…" He said kissing me between each word._

"_You found her then?" The Guvs' gruff voice interrupted. We hadn't heard him come in._

"_Yep." Sam was still grinning like an idiot._

"_Look, Cartwright…" He began._

"_You've come to kick me out?" I said._

"_Not yet... I'm more kicking myself out... It's time." He opened a bottle and poured me a glass. I managed to read the label before the smell hit me… crème du menthe._

_My stomach immediately went into spin cycle. I leant over and heaved into the sink. I could hear the Guv in the confusion. _

"_I thought birds liked this shit?"_

_Sam was holding my hair back from my face as I was sick. Hardly the most glamorous position to be in._

"_It's not the drink Guv. I think she probably accepts your apology."_

"_What's up with the dozy plonk then?"_

_I didn't have to see it to know the look on Sams' face, utter joy._

"_We're having a baby."_

Alex looked up from the diary in shock. No-one had ever mentioned a baby. In fact it had been said… there were no kids. That sent a chill through her. Had Annie lost the baby and lost Sam in the process, causing him to fake his death to escape? This was a puzzle that just kept twisting and turning. There was no option, if she wanted answers, she just had to keep going until the bitter end.

**A/N And dear readers so do you. Please, please, please… just an 'I'm still reading it' will give me encouragement. It's hard not to veer off character when you are so absorbed. I'd really appreciate any comment or if anybody seems wildly out of kilter. I've tried to study the characters and you all know them. Some feedback guys... please... Thank you.**


	15. A New Team Member

Alex flicked through the rest of the diary irritably. There was nothing of any great interest, just normal everyday life. There weren't even any references to where Sam came from. Curling her feet under her Alex tried to hold down her frustration, surely the trail can't have gone completely cold. She'd had such high hopes. Lazily flicking through 1978 a date was ringed with red.

_10__th__ February 1978_

_I knew it was probably going to happen. I also knew it was for the best, but still, it didn't make things any easier._

_Ever since I'd found out I was pregnant Sam had been more than a little protective. It had always been a fine line between me being able to do my job and his desire to keep me out of danger. I'd never wanted to be mollycoddled. But now he had a genuine excuse that I really couldn't argue with. I had virtually been chained to the office. Now they were bringing in someone else to replace me. We were expecting the new officer any moment. _

"_Who is it Guv, where are they from?" Sam asked._

_Gene Hunt sat perched against the edge of the desk, arms folded across his chest. He did not seem happy._

"_Out of my hands Sammy-boy, Division are sending them. Some bugger from Hyde. Of course if you hadn't gone and knocked up Cartwright we wouldn't have to get someone in would we? What did I tell you about protection?"_

_He slapped Sam on the back. "I don't like it… disrupts the team, look at the problems you cause!"_

_The Guv hadn't quite forgiven Sam for my current condition._

_Sam just shook his head. "I'm sure they'll do ok."_

"_They better." Hunt muttered before wandering back to his office. "I'd just got used to a bird on the team, god knows what they're going to send us this time, probably a bloody Alsatian."_

_Sam just laughed. He picked up a file and followed the DCI._

_The doors to CID opened. I don't think any of us expected what came through them. She was tall and slim. Her black, straight hair cascaded down her back and she was obviously of Asian descent. With wild eyes she stared around the office as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing._

"_Who are you people?" She gaped._

_The whole office gaped back. _

_Snapping out of myself I got up from my chair and walked towards her._

"_Hello. I'm WDC Cartwright… Annie." I held out my hand. She looked at it as though it was a live snake._

"_It's not so bad being a woman in here." I said smiling._

_She stared at me as if I was mad._

"_Bloody hell they've sent us a paki bird." Ray said._

_This seemed to bring her round. "What did you say?" She spat. "How dare you. I'll have you thrown out of the force for a comment like that."_

_Ray raised his eyebrows and took a drag from his fag. "Like anyone is going to listen to one of you. Aren't you supposed to be wearing a nighty and dropping kids every five minutes?"_

_I thought the woman was going to explode. "How dare you! And you're smoking… in the office… I don't know who you people think you are…"_

_Ray stood up, "And I don't know who you think you are, but don't think you can come in here throwing your bleedin' weight around!"_

_I touched the womans' arm. This was not going well. "Um… you are the new WDC?" I asked._

"_I'm a DI!" She snapped throwing off my touch._

_Ray and the other officers laughed. "In your dreams sweetheart."_

_I could tell she was starting to panic._

_Sam and the Guv must have heard the commotion. _

"_What the bleedin' hell is going on out here, sounds like a meeting of the WI fighting over the cake tins!" The Guv shouted._

_The new officer looked up. She didn't even give the Guv a second glance, her whole focus was on Sam. Her eyes widened even further with amazement._

"_SAM!" She gasped before running across the room and throwing her arms around his neck._

_He looked completely non-plussed, as did the rest of us. He unwound her arms and gently pushed her away._

"_Friend of yours Tyler?" The Guv said in amusement. "I would love to see how you're going to talk your way out of this one." He nodded in my direction._

"_Sam?" She had an edge of panic in her voice._

_There was no recognition on his face at all. "Do I know you?" _

"_Do you… do you know me?" She asked incredulously. "I should think so; we lived together for two years!"_

"_I could sell tickets to watch you try and weasel yourself out of this." Hunt added, smirking. "Cartwright. Do you want me to hold him while you hit 'im luv?"_

_There was a general murmur from the assembled officers. Some ooohs and ahhhs, a lot of sniggering._

_I was actually starting to realise who this might be, I just had to hope that I was wrong._

"_I… I don't think…" Sam was saying. He looked as though he was desperately trying to remember some distant memory._

"_Would you by any chance be… Maya?" I asked._

_Her head snapped around to fix me with a glare. "DI Maya Roy."_

"_Have you looked at your warrant card?"_

_She took it angrily out of her inside pocket, opened it and thrust it into my face. "See!"_

_I took it from her hand. "WDS Maya Roy." I read._

_She snatched it back, looking at it in disbelief. "WDS?" _

_The Guv clapped his hands. "Well that's the introductions all sorted out. You… stroppy knickers, my office." He snapped at Maya. "The rest of you get some bloody work done."_

_Sam was still frowning in confusion. "How did you know…?" He asked me as Maya was ushered ahead of the Guv, her eyes never leaving Sam._

* * *

><p><em>In the canteen Sam was listening intently as I explained. He'd long since stopped making predictions or claiming he came from the future. In fact whenever I spoke about it he seemed more and more sceptical that any of it had happened. He'd even gone so far as to blame the concussion from his accident that first day. In the end we just stopped talking about it. But I remembered everything he'd told me. I wrote it down. His life and his girlfriend from 2006, Maya Roy. He'd loved her and she'd left him as he lay in a coma. Now she had turned up in CID. <em>

"_I… I can't quite believe it." Sam said shaking his head. "You are telling me that all that stuff is true… that I came from 2006… come on Annie?"_

"_How else do you explain our new WDS?" I asked taking a sip from my coffee._

_He reached over and took both of my hands in his. "But I don't remember. Surely I would remember if I'd lived with someone?"_

_I shrugged my shoulders._

_I didn't see DS Roy approach the table. She stood over us._

"_I need to speak to you Sam." She said. "Privately."_

_Sam glanced up at her, letting go of my hands. "Anything you have to say you can say in front of Annie." There was a strange coldness to his tone; it very clearly said I am your superior officer, something Sam did not do often. He was even on first name terms with Gwen in the canteen._

"_Sam I really think…" She began._

"_Look. Annie is my wife. I don't have any secrets from her. _

"_Wife? Maya said, her eyes darting to my bump. The colour drained from her face. "How can that be… you've only been gone six months?"_

"_Sam transferred from Hyde five years ago." I said._

"_Five years?" She sat down heavily in the plastic chair._

_I remembered the first day Sam arrived. How insane he sounded. I don't know why but I didn't feel threatened by this woman and really I suppose I should have. I felt sorry for her. I knew that Sam loved me. If he had wanted Maya he would have gone to her when he returned to 2006, he wouldn't have given up until she listened, that was his way. Instead he chose to come back to me._

"_Let me talk to DS Roy." I said to him. He hesitated for a moment. "Go on."_

_He leant across the table and kissed me on the cheek before reluctantly walking away._

_Maya had her head in her hands. "I don't know what's going on. The last thing I remember I was disarming this suspect, there was a struggle… a knife…"_

"_Then you woke up here?" I said._

_She looked up. "Then I woke up here, and there was Sam… Am I dead?"_

_I laughed. "I don't think so; if this was heaven the meat pies would be a lot better."_

"_Why doesn't he remember me?"_

"_I don't know." I replied honestly. "Let me get you a cup of tea."_

_She nodded._

* * *

><p>"<em>Sam never wanted children." Maya said distractedly as we walked back to CID. "Or marriage. Least I didn't think he did. It was always about the career… his and mine… never the right time."<em>

_I nodded sympathetically. "Did you… want that?"_

_She shook her head. "Fast track to DCI. Can't do that if you're pushing a buggy."_

"_I can't wait to be a mum." I said stroking my swollen stomach._

"_What about Sam?"_

_For a moment I forgot who I was talking to. "He's even more excited than I am. He comes to all my doctors' appointments and the scans… He's like a little kid in a sweet shop when we see our baby on the screen. It's like he thinks its magic."_

_Maya was just staring at me. "But Sams' usually so… controlled?"_

_Just then the Sam appeared in front of us, propelled through the door from lost property into the corridor. He crashed into the wall and landed on the floor. A few seconds later Gene Hunt staggered out backwards. _

"_Big…" Sam said breathlessly getting to his feet._

"_Bastard big!" The Guv added gleefully gesturing with his arms wide. _

"_Psychotic…" Sam said._

"_Hippy." Hunt finished. "Ready?" He looked at Sam._

_They both grinned at us before charging back into the room._

"_What was that?" Maya asked._

"_Interrogation of a bastard big psychotic hippy apparently." I said cheerfully._

"_In lost property?"_

"_Thick walls." I said before leading her gently away._

"_But… they can't do that!" She said turning back._

"_I would suggest that now is probably not the time to mention it. I tell you what, it's nearly clocking off time, why don't we go to the pub, you can meet everyone properly there."_

"_But it's only five o'clock?"_

"_I know but if we're lucky the rest of the team won't have taken all the seats."_

_Sam and the Guv turned up about an hour later, both of them looking somewhat the worse for wear. I touched Sams' cheekbone where a nasty bruise was already coming up. He winced._

"_What were you thinking?" I said tutting._

"_I'm thinking I really need to learn to duck faster. The Guv did this!"_

"_Tyler you bloody noncy arsed fairy boy, you should have got out of the way."_

"_If you recall I was struggling with a huge hippy at the time, how the hell did you miss him and hit me?"_

"_Your face is smugger than his, it was an instinct."_

_Maya sat beside me nursing a lemonade. "What's happened to you Sam?" She said quietly shaking her head. _

_Sam was acting very strangely around the new Detective Sergeant, normally so friendly and open, he was keeping his distance from her. I wasn't sure whether it was for my benefit or his own. After we'd dropped Maya off at her flat we talked about it for hours, I read out passages from my diary, we looked at all the lists but he still didn't remember anything about her. Inevitably we ended up talking about Layla. July 1973, I can remember it as though it were yesterday._

Drake sorted through the books to 1973. 'So you made friends with her.' Alex warmed even more to Annie Tyler. Most women would have wanted to scratch her eyes out, but you took her under your wing. It made Alex wish even more that Annie was still in the team, life would have been a lot easier. But, who was Layla and how did she have anything to do with DI Roy? Wracking her brains she couldn't recall having a psych evaluation from anyone called Roy in the Manchester area. That could mean one of three things, either Maya hadn't made it back, she had chose to pretend nothing had happened or… and this was the one that scared Alex the most… her mind was already starting to forget.


	16. Broken Dreams

_14th July 1973_

_I've__ realised__ something. I am a complete idiot. Stupid… stupid… stupid. I've broken rule number one. Do not under any circumstances get involved with another officer. To make matters worse he is not just another officer, he's my superior officer, my DI, add to that he is a little off the scale mentally and he only thinks of me as a friend. It's a recipe for disaster. I should have seen the warning signs. When he was off work sick, well actually tripping the light fantastic as Phyllis put it, I found myself gazing at his jacket. I'd seen an ad for Roxy Music at the free trade hall and all I could think about was going with Sam. Every time I was around him my heart would beat faster and I couldn't stop smiling. I'd broken the cardinal rule with out even realising it, I'd started off feeling sorry for him and now I'd fallen for him. Because of that I've managed to break my own stupid heart. _

_Layla Dylan. That's her name. Well actually it isn't her name because she's really Leslie Roy._

Alex read the line again. Leslie **Roy**?

_Sam is completely besotted with her. I went to his flat and she was in his bed. Alright he did stress that he was sleeping in the chair and she was fully clothed but even so, she spent the night with him. For once he isn't thinking straight. He was so hurt that she'd lied to him, so angry. I did point out that people do tend to do that to us but even that didn't raise a smile. It was almost as though she had him under her spell. Even the Guv had noticed it, that Sam was being less than objective when it came to this woman. _

"_Go and check the twonk hasn't gone and done something stupid." Hunt had snapped at me at the hospital._

"_Like… like what?" I'd spluttered._

"_Bloody state he's in over that bit of skirt he's likely to do something really monumentally dumb like offer to marry her and take care of the kid."_

_I felt like someone had squeezed all the air out of me._

"_Kid?" _

"_Yeah, bun in the oven, little brown one. You know what he's like with the holier than thou, knight in white__ armour__ shit. Kind of thing he'd do, it would appeal to his ego, and she aint going to say no to that meal ticket is she?"_

_I still don't know how I managed to walk down the corridor to the maternity unit. Sam would want to do the right thing and there was something about this girl that completely entranced him. I would have given anything for him to be that way about me. My stomach flipped as I saw him come out of a room. He was grinning, really grinning as if something__ marvellous__ had just happened. I feared the worst._

"_The Guv sent me to see if you'd done something stupid… have you… done something stupid?" I was so terrified of what he was going to say._

_He just shook his head. I felt my knees buckle slightly with sheer relief._

_Then he was trying to explain and it made no sense. That it was all unfinished business and now it's finished. I had no idea what he was talking about, I'm not really sure he did. I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible before I did something really crazy like telling him that I loved him. But I knew now he'd never feel the same way._

'So, Leslie Roy'. Alex thought.' That must have been Mayas' mother. No wonder Sam was so interested in her. The baby must have been Maya! Poor Annie, I hope you told her about it in the end Sam.' She flicked back to February 1978.

_23rd February 1978_

_It didn't take long for Maya to be fully involved in jobs with the team. In some ways I was glad she was settling in. In others I couldn't help but be jealous that she was doing the exciting stuff while I was stuck in CID with a mountain of paperwork. I should have been watching her more closely, sometimes I am just too trusting, but if you haven't got trust what have you got?_

* * *

><p><em>I saw Maya coming out of the locker room. Sam followed close behind. I tried to read the look on his face, I'm not really sure what I was expecting to find, guilt? That was ridiculous, I trusted him. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.<em>

_"You ok?" I'd asked._

_He rubbed his temples. "I can't quite get my head around all of this. Things are coming back... you know? Stuff I'd forgotten. I don't know if it's Maya being here or what it is but I found myself looking for the microwave this morning."_

_"What's a microwave?" _

_"It's a kind of cooker... never mind that, and I was singing Boulevard of Broken Dreams..."_

_"Is that by Elvis?" I asked._

_He placed his hands on each of my shoulders. "No, it's by a band called Green Day... and before you ask... no they don't seem to exist. I don't even think they've been born yet. I'm remembering things Annie."_

_"Are you seeing and hearing things too?" This was all going so wrong. I didn't want Sam to go back to being that tortured soul who used to jump every time the telephone rang, who would say crazy things and just freak everyone out, including me. _

_He shook his head. _

_I started to nibble my bottom lip, a sure sign that I was concerned. Sam noticed._

_"Hey, you don't have to worry. If Maya is from 2006, apparently I managed to get back there, all we need to do is find out how I did it. We can help her get home Annie."_

_I tried to smile. "It involved trying to get us all killed. Somehow I don't think the Guv is going to go for it."_

_He kissed me. "Then I am just going to have to find another way." _

_There was excitement written all over his face. A proper mystery to be solved. I tried to share his enthusiasm, but somehow my heart wasn't in it. __So when Ray gleefully wandered over to my desk later I should have known something wasn't right. He put the cassette tape down next to my paperwork._

"_What's that?" I asked. "More to transcript from those interviews yesterday?" I was beginning to get incredibly sick of listening to those tapes._

"_This is something far more interesting." He said putting his hands in his pockets. "Wonderful things those transmitters the boss made up. The clarity on them is amazing."_

"_I don't want to listen to the WPCs' in the bathroom." I snapped. I was tired and cross, so could do without Rays' juvenile humour today._

"_You'll want to listen to this one." He said tapping the case before walking away. "Oh." He said turning back and winking. "You might want to listen to it somewhere private."_

_I was intrigued. Picking up the tape I took it into lost property. Once I'd set up the machine I pressed play. Nothing could have prepared me for what I heard._

"_Sam?" It was undeniably Mayas' voice._

"_What can I do for you DS Roy?" There was that same coldness. Even though it wasn't directed at me it still sent a chill down my spine. For the hundredth time I felt sorry for Maya if this was the way he was treating her._

"_I think you do remember me... us?" She said so softly I had to turn up the volume._

"_What makes you think that?"_

"_Because what we had you just don't forget! Ok, I'll admit we had our ups and downs and before your accident we weren't exactly getting along…"_

"_Yes, I know."_

_Maya sounded triumphant. "I knew you remembered!"_

"_No, I don't, not really. I told Annie everything about us, when I first got here. She wrote it all down."_

"_You told Annie… about us?"_

_I could imagine Sam nodding. "Why wouldn't I? I've already said, I have no secrets from her."_

_Maya gave a low laugh. "I never thought I'd see the day when you would actually let someone know what goes on in your head. You were always so… difficult to talk to… perhaps that's why we were having problems?"_

_He laughed, "Annie said once I'm like a riddle."_

"_She seems to have solved it. Maybe I should ask Annie about it all… she seems nice?"_

_Sams' tone was harsh. "Leave Annie alone. I don't want her upset, especially in her condition."_

"_Yes… wife and a baby on the way. That is another thing I never thought I'd see. You've changed Sam."_

"_What?" He sounded irritated. _

"_I don't know 'this' you. The Sam I know never gave anything away. Always in control, of his emotions, his temper, cool and calculating. He would never allow himself to get into a fight with a suspect."_

"_I think I'm who I was always meant to be."_

_Maya was not to be deterred. "I was devastated when you jumped off that roof. I felt somehow responsible."_

"_You weren't." Sam said simply._

"_If I'd have stayed, when you were in that coma? I did still love you... do... If I'd have made you talk to me when you recovered, you might never have jumped?"_

"_I still would have jumped."_

"_You might not…"_

_Sam was firm. "I couldn't feel anything Maya. You know what that's like? To be walking around in a dead shell of a body, breathing, eating, sleeping… but not alive?"_

"_You're remembering?"_

"_Bit's here and there. Some things are more vivid than others."_

"_Do you remember when we went to Barcelona? That was a hell of a weekend." She laughed. "The little hotel just off the Ramblers, we thought we were going to be thrown out because of all the noise we were making! You can't tell me that wasn't being alive?"_

"_Why are you doing this?" He sounded frustrated._

"_I think I know why I'm here Sam." Maya said calmly. _

_There was silence._

"_None of this is real… these people, this place. You don't belong here. This is not you."_

_There was still nothing from Sam._

"_I think I'm here to take you home. We've been given another chance."_

"_Another chance for what?"_

"_For this…"_

_There was a sound… quiet but__ unmistakeable__… it was a kiss._

_The sound of Slade suddenly belted out of the machine making me jump. Ray! I could feel myself breathing heavily, my heart pounding. _

_So that was why he was so keen to find a way to get Maya back to 2006. I couldn't believe it. Sam had promised, he promised me he would stay here forever, and I thought he always kept his promises_


	17. Kept Promises

"Shaz. I need you to do something for me, but keep it quiet, yeah?" Alex asked as she leant over the desk.

DC Granger glanced around the office nervously. "What is it Marm?"

Can you contact Manchester police human resources? I want everything they have on record for Annie Cartwright… she could also be under the name Annie Tyler… and a Detective Sergeant Maya Roy."

"Why shall I tell them we want them?"

"You're a bright girl, I'm sure you'll come up with something."

Shaz nodded. "I'll get right on it."

Alex returned to her desk. The diary had been concealed in a buff folder, she'd have to keep her wits about her, but with luck no-one would investigate what she was actually reading.

Her stomach fluttered with excitement. If Sam and Maya had found a way to get home then it meant it was just possible for her too.

_23__rd__ February 1978 (cont.)_

_I couldn't stop the tears rolling down my cheeks. I realised what Sam had said, we can help Maya to get 'home.' I thought this was his home. We were real people and here was this woman trying to drag him back to a place where he wasn't happy… and he was apparently going, just like that._

_This was just so hard to believe, and if I hadn't heard it with my own ears I would never have thought it possible. That Sam could leave me… me and our baby behind, that he could even consider it. A sob left my throat. I had been so nice to Maya too, tried to make her welcome, feel part of the team. _

_Sitting here feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to help. There was no way I was just going to give up, too much was at stake. I hastily wiped my hand across my face. I took the tape out of the machine and put it in my pocket before walking back to CID with my head held high._

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh Annie, I was looking for you. I need some files from records; I don't suppose you could get them for me?"<em>

_She was standing there in front of me. Of all the brass nerve, ordering me about as if I was nothing._

"_You don't suppose correctly. I think you should get them yourself... Detective Sergeant." I snapped not even bothering to look at her. "I am quite busy."_

"_This is important…" There was an edge to her voice. "I want those files."_

_I stood up and looked her squarely in the eye. "Perhaps in 'woo' Hyde you've been used to always getting what you want. It doesn't work that way here… " I folded my arms._

_A hush had settled over the rest of the office. I refused to break her gaze._

_Sam crossed the room, standing between us. From the corner of my eye I saw him glance from me to Maya. "Is there a problem ladies?"_

"_WDC Cartwright is refusing to help me with something quite vital to the Perry case." Maya said coldly._

"_Annie?" He raised his eyebrows at me, a slight smile on his face. He obviously thought he could get around me… after what I'd just heard I didn't think so._

"_What? When did I become WDS Roys' personal dogsbody? If she wants the files she can jolly well go and get them herself if they are so 'vital'... Sir!"_

"_I am the senior officer!" She spat._

_I raised my eyes to the ceiling before staring her down again. "I don't care if you are the Queen of Sheba. I… am… busy!"_

_I picked up a file and turned to leave when she grabbed my arm. That was probably a mistake. _

_It was the hardest thing in the world not to cry. Not because I was heartbroken but because I was so angry. "Take your hand off me."_

"_Get me those files." She said maintaining her grip._

_I pulled roughly away. Before I knew what I was doing my own hand was in the air. It contacted with her cheek in a resounding slap. The entire office seemed to inhale with almost one breath._

"_You stay away from me… and you stay away from my family." I growled through gritted teeth before turning and storming out of the office._

* * *

><p><em>I went home. I didn't care what happened with Maya after I left. All that was important was protecting my family. They were always knocking lumps out of each other in CID; I couldn't see her getting much sympathy if she complained about one little slap. Filled with determination I shut the front door behind me, I had things to arrange for when Sam came home.<em>

_I heard him come into the house, obviously trying to be quiet. The thing is, I know my husband, and I knew that after todays' incident he would have to come and find me. Just to make sure I told Phyllis where I was going and hinted that she should let the boss think he'd wheedled it out of her. _

"_Annie?" _

"_I'm up here!"_

_He climbed the stairs slowly and paused before opening the bedroom door._

"_Are you…?" He stopped dead, his eyes wide with surprise. He held his hands open in front of him. "Whoa!" _

_I'd had time to prepare, and as Sam always says… God is in the detail._

_Candles were burning around the room along with some jasmine incense which I knew he loved. I'd piled my hair up, applied my make up and changed into a silky cerise nightdress which skimmed my bump nicely. These days I was starting to feel like a fairy elephant so I needed all the confidence I could get._

_I walked across the room slowly. Sam opened his mouth to speak but I wasn't going to let him. I reached up on tip toes and kissed him gently. It was returned. His fingers laced into my hair as he pulled me closer, his lips becoming more insistent._

_This was definitely the reaction I was going for. _

_My fingers crept up his chest and under his jacket; it slid to the floor as he shrugged it off, his mouth never leaving mine. I began to unbutton his shirt until that too was lying on the carpet closely followed by his singlet. Backing away, I let him take off his boots and socks. The distance was soon closed between us. He stroked my shoulders and bent to kiss me again as I undid his belt. _

_There are advantages to both of us being in the force. Two sets of standard police issue handcuffs. Now that he was naked, we lay on the bed, kissing passionately. I rolled on top of him, our hands entwined. He was so distracted it was relatively easy to raise his arms above his head and before he could react he was firmly handcuffed to the headboard. _

"_Hey!" He said, struggling._

_Brushing the hair out my eyes I sat up._

"_What? It's not like it's never happened to you before!" I said innocently, running a fingernail across his stomach making him twitch._

_He raised his eyebrows._

_I reached into the bedside cabinet and took out the cassette recorder I'd prepared. _

"_Now that I have your attention, there is something I want you to listen to." I said simply before pressing play._

* * *

><p><em>I was careful to switch the machine off just before the music started… just after the sound of the kiss. Sam was just looking at me completely unfazed.<em>

"_So?" I asked._

"_So what?" He replied with a slight shake of the head._

_I couldn't believe it. For a good minute I was completely speechless. _

"_Kissing!" I said, failing to keep the emotion out of my voice._

"_**She** kissed **me**." He said simply._

"_Oh that makes it alright then." I snapped sarcastically._

_He shook his head again and looked at me expectantly._

_I stared back, willing him to say something, anything._

"_You're not surprised that I have this on tape?" I said eventually._

"_Nope." _

"_And you knew what was on it…?"_

"_Of course." He said, looking up at the ceiling. "I was there."_

_I stood up and began to pace backwards and forwards. This really wasn't making any sense. I still could not quite believe that Sam would consider leaving us, yet he wasn't denying it, then again there was no guilt to confirm it. His eyes were following me._

"_Are you going to let me out of these?" He shook the handcuffs._

"_Nope!" I said mirroring his own words. He just shrugged._

_I continued to pace the carpet as I bit my thumbnail._

"_Are you going to go back with her, to 2006?" _

_Finally I had a reaction. "What? You've listened to the tape!"_

"_So have you!" _

_He glanced in the direction of the machine. "I've heard part of it."_

_I began to feel uncertain. I pressed play as Slade blasted out._

"_That's all there is." I said. Sams' head flopped back against the pillow his eyes shut._

"_One of these days I am going to kill Ray Carling." He muttered._

_After a few minutes he rattled the cuffs again. "Can you unlock these... please Annie?"_

_I found the key and shakily undid them. Sam crossed the room, I thought for a moment he was going to get dressed and leave. Instead he fished something out of the inside pocket of his leather jacket. It was a cassette case. Sitting next to me on the bed he waved it under my nose._

"_After your outburst in the office Chris thought I might be needing this." He said smiling as he changed the tapes over. "I think their original idea was to get even with Maya, she has been rattling some cages. Of course, added bonus, you know Ray always likes to have a pop at me, but your reaction… you scared the hell out of everyone."_

_It was soon fast forwarded to the point where Slade kicked in only this time they didn't._

"_Maya don't!" Sam was saying._

"_But…"_

"_Listen to me." Now his tone was gentler but still firm. "I leapt from a bloody tall building. I very much doubt that there would be any of me left to go back to even if I wanted to."_

_She made a noise to interrupt, but he cut her off._

"_And I don't want to go back. I made a choice. This is where I wanted to be, with these people, in this place… with Annie… Without her life was just pointless. This is where I belong."_

"_But it's so…?"_

_I could imagine him smiling. "I know exactly what you mean. When I first arrived I felt the same way. The energy I wasted trying to get back… you wouldn't believe! I can help you, if there is a chance for you to go home, I will do everything in my power to make it happen, but __**this**__ is **my** home."_

"_So you won't come back with me?" There was hopelessness in her voice._

_"No."_

_And then there was silence. _

_Sam pressed the stop button. I thought back to when I'd seen Maya coming out of the locker room. Her expression had been hidden behind her hair and she'd walked past me without even acknowledgement. It hadn't occurred to me before._

_He cupped my face in his hand, his thumb stroking my cheek._

"_I told you I wouldn't leave you. That hasn't changed… I don't think I could even if I tried."_

_Never have I felt quite so foolish as at that precise moment. I blinked back tears._

"_Hey… come on." He put his arms around me, kissing them away._

"_Given the edited version that you heard I'm not surprised you thought the worst. What were you going to do, keep me tied up here until you'd got rid of Maya?" He was smiling._

_Despite myself I gave an embarrassed laugh. "I wanted you to feel vulnerable, so you'd tell me the truth."_

_He nodded. "Psychology… makes sense… At least you believed in me enough to try? You, Annie Tyler… are sneaky."_

"_I had a good teacher."_

_He held me tightly._

"_Sam I'm sorry…" I began._

_He kissed me gently before lying down and snapping one of the cuffs around his own wrist. He nodded to me to fasten the other one. _

"_No need to be sorry… however… I'm going to let you make it up to me anyway." He grinned._

_And so I did._


	18. How to Save a Life

_24__th__ February 1978_

_Today started so wonderfully. Never for one moment would I have believed it was going to turn out the way it did._

_We walked into work holding hands. Sam was teasing me mercilessly about last night sending me into fits of giggles, which of course just encouraged him all the more. _

_I stopped as we reached the steps of the police station. "Are you done?" I said placing my hands on my hips._

_He gave me a crooked smile. "Yeah, I'm done… No wait…"_

_I slapped his chest playfully. _

"_Ok, ok I'm done… no need to get violent!" He held his hands up in mock surrender._

_Standing on tip toes I pecked him on the lips. "Just watch it."_

"_Oi Romeo… a word!" The Guv snapped as he got out of the Cortina. He leant against the roof and lit a fag. Sam made a face at me before wandering over to the DCI._

_As I turned to walk up the stairs I happened to notice DS Roy standing on the landing above, she must have been watching us. Despite what had happened I felt a huge surge of pity for the woman. Her face was such a picture of misery. I remembered how it felt when I thought I'd lost Sam to Layla, and we weren't even really together then. What it must be like for Maya I couldn't imagine. It was like she was losing him all over again. She glanced in my direction then disappeared around the corner._

_As I opened the door to CID all heads turned towards me. Ray started it I think. "Dum… dum, dum, dum… dum, dum, dum… dadaaaa!" They all started joining in with a very out of tune rendition of the theme from Rocky. _

"_I work with a bunch of comedians." I muttered as I sat down. It was just a relief that Maya didn't seem to be in the room._

"_You alright boss?" Chris asked. I hadn't heard Sam come in behind me._

"_Yeah." He said distracted. "Got a lead on the Perry case. Guv's waiting in the car, Chris, Ray, let's go. Annie can you and Maya go through those files, see if you can find out anything about a connection between Perry and Pattens Cement."_

_The Perry case was something we'd been working on for a few weeks. Rodney Perry, a forty seven year old accountant had gone missing a couple of years ago with a considerable amount of cash that didn't belong to him. It was widely believed he was still somewhere in the Manchester area either living under an assumed name, or decidedly dead under the foundations of the motorway. So when he was fingered as the mastermind behind of a string of jewellery thefts, the Guv was incredibly keen to find out what had really happened. Either way he appeared to have some connections with organised crime which we were trying to unravel. _

"_You survived then boss?" Chris asked Sam with concern. Although it was said quietly I still heard, and saw the slight nod towards me._

_Sam gave a cheeky smile; catching my eye he rubbed his wrist, just a slight gesture but enough for me to get the point. "It was fine Chris, very restrained in the end." _

_I must have been blushing from my toes to the roots of my hair. Fortunately the younger man didn't seem to notice. Sam slapped him on the shoulder. "I owe you one." He said cheerfully. "Now let's get going!"_

* * *

><p><em>My cheeks felt like they were on fire so I went to the ladies to try and compose myself. As I opened the door I noticed a figure bent over the basin washing her face. It was undeniably Maya. I stopped. Would it be possible to sneak out again without her seeing me? I suspected not, and even so we were supposed to be going through files together. It was going to be awkward.<em>

_She looked up, wide eyes staring at me from the large illuminated mirrors. She'd obviously been crying._

"_Look," I began. "About yesterday…"_

_She shrugged. "Don't worry about it." Before continuing to splash water on her face._

"_But… it shouldn't have happened… I wanted to apologise?" Anger had long since given way to empathy._

"_You have nothing to apologise for. I was in the wrong."_

_That was a surprise._

"_You all hate me here, I know that. My race, my gender, my way of doing things, I've ruffled some feathers. Don't worry, I will try and leave as soon as possible." She sounded completely devoid of all hope. "Sam told me what they did, about the tape. I don't blame you for reacting badly."_

_I perched next to her, leaning against the sink. "They don't all hate you… __**I**__ don't hate you. You should have seen when Sam arrived; he didn't so much ruffle a few feathers as blow up an entire pillow factory!"_

_She gave a watery smile._

"_But it all worked out in the end." I added cheerfully._

"_For Sam." She looked as though she was about to tear up again._

_All I could do was nod._

"_He just became so cold, you know, my Sam?" _

_I turned towards her, showing I was ready to listen. _

"_When we first got together he wasn't like that, he followed his gut, his feelings, and then gradually he just became more and more… sterilised, like a robot?"_

_I thought back to when Sam first arrived. I wouldn't have said he was a robot. A barking nutcase perhaps but not entirely cold, it wasn't something I could envisage._

"_But here…"_

"_He's more the old Sam?" I supplied. "The one you fell in love with?"_

"_Yes… no… It's as though he's just so full of… passion? For the job, for life… you?"_

_What was I supposed to say, I was sorry? I wasn't._

"_Do you have visions?" I asked, deliberately changing the subject._

"_What?" She looked startled._

"_Hearing things, seeing things… from your 'other life'?"_

"_How…?" _

"_Sam had the same… I don't know what it means, perhaps that you can go home?"_

_She smiled, genuinely for the first time. "You really do want to get rid of me don't you?"_

_I had to laugh. "Don't be daft. Hey. We have a big pile of musty old files with our names on them. What say we get a cup of coffee, a couple of Curlywurlies and get started? Chocolate will make it far less painful?" _

_She nodded and wiped her face._

* * *

><p>"<em>Did you say Pattens' Cement?" Maya asked as she flicked through the witness statements. "There was a driver at Pattens who was interviewed just after Perry vanished. He claimed that he was asked to deliver a load to <em>_the Arndale Center site in the early hours of the morning, but when he arrived the builder insisted on tipping the stuff himself?"_

"_Nothing so unusual about that. Work went on until all hours of the day and night, there were forever lorries coming and going." _

_Maya raised her eyebrows in question. _

"_In '72 when I worked the beat we were always getting complaints about the noise." I explained._

"_But I can't find a statement from the workers who did tip the load. No-one seems to have spoken to them."_

_I took a mouthful of coffee. "I guess at the time a moneyman going missing from one of the gangs was not exactly top priority. Until a body turned up no-one was going to shed any tears… probably not even then."_

"_According to the driver the bloke who signed for it was Roper."_

_A seed of recognition germinated somewhere in my brain. "Roper?" I began to search through the earlier building schedule reports._

"_Donny Roper. Project manager. Took over after the previous bloke left, September 1976."_

"_Unusual for a project manager to be pouring cement…?" Maya said. "Especially in the middle of the night… what happened to the previous one?"_

_I searched through the files. "Dunno, no record of him. He wasn't there when Perry disappeared so he wasn't interviewed."_

"_What about our Mr Roper?"_

"_One of the plonks took the statement. Like I said, it seems like no-one was really interested unless they could find the money and there was no trace of that anywhere."_

"_I think I'll go and have a word with Mr Roper…" Maya picked up her coat._

_I glanced around the office, it was virtually deserted. "You should wait for the Guv and Sam?"_

_She grimaced. "It might be nothing. I'll just go and speak to him, if it seems a warm lead I'll give them a call."_

_It didn't seem right, it didn't seem right at all. I felt myself chewing my lip. She was determined to go. _

"_Ok." I said getting up._

"_Ok what?"_

"_Ok, I'm coming with you. I can be your back up."_

_She looked uncomfortable._

"_Look, if all we're doing is having a chat, how dangerous can it be?"_

_Ha! Famous last words._

* * *

><p><em>Mr Roper wasn't that easy to find. The Arndale was still a work in progress and he was out on site at the top of a new multistory car park. We picked our way across the rubble and mud to where a group of men were looking at plans.<em>

"_Excuse me. We are looking for Donny Roper?" The men stared at Maya as though she was an alien._

"_WDS Roy." She flashed her warrant card. "This is WDC Cartwright." _

_I showed my card too._

_There was a general snigger from the group. I suppose we must have looked an odd pair. One obviously pregnant WDC and an Asian Sergeant._

"_Piss off Sweetheart. We're busy." The man was in his fifties perhaps, large with several tattoos visible on his forearms. I stared at them, they didn't seem quite right. He bent his head back over the plans._

"_I don't think you heard me." Mayas' tone was cool. "We're the police and all we'd like is a quick word with Mr Roper..."_

"_When you lot can be bothered to send a proper grown up copper then I'll be bothered to talk to them." The__ older man snapped turning away._

"_Mr Roper...? Sir…" I moved round to stand in front of him smiling as sweetly as I could. "We appreciate that you're a very busy man, but if you could just give us a moment of your time it would mean we don't have to come back and bother you at a later date?" _

_He regarded me for a moment. "Five minutes." He grunted, directing us over__ to the side. The other men walked away still discussing the plans._

"_We wanted to ask you about a delivery of cement on __4th October1976." Maya began._

_Roper looked incredulous. _

"_We know it is a long time ago Sir but this one may stick in your memory. It was delivered at three in the morning and you apparently signed for it."_

"_Well, there you go then." He clicked his fingers close to my face. "I'm the organ grinder darling, not one of the monkeys. You wouldn't see me around here at that time of the morning. You must have got your facts wrong."_

"_Do you have any records that might tell us who could have possibly signed for it and given your name?" Maya asked._

_He laughed. "This whole city is under construction darling in case you hadn't noticed. I have blokes in and out of here, changing daily, most of 'em I don't even know their faces let alone their names." He looked at his watch. "Your five minutes are up."_

_Turning smartly he strode away._

"_That was helpful?" I said. Maya grimaced in agreement._

_The radio crackled into life. "Annie?" _

_I pressed the button. "Sam."_

"_Where are you?" _

_This was going to go down well. "UM... I'm at the Arndale Center."_

_There was a silence. _

"_You'd better tell me you're there buying booties…"_

_Maya and I exchanged a look. "Not…. Exactly…" I said grimacing._

"_We were following up a lead…"_

"_Roper? Do not under any circumstances approach… do you understand me?"_

"_Sam, it's fine we were just…"_

"_You're not listening Annie. I need you to get out of there now. Is Maya with you?"_

"_She's here."_

"_Annie I need you to get somewhere safe." I could tell he was trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "What were you thinking? Roper is Perry."_

_My mind was already racing. "Oh how stupid." I said. "It's almost an anagram. Rodney Perry, Donny Roper. Ok, it's not a very good one but…I knew there was something about those tattoos."_

"_What?" Maya asked._

"_They are too new. A man his age you would expect them to be faded and old, but they look just finished."_

"_So Perry replaced the project manager…"_

"_Who is probably at the bottom of the concrete that was delivered at 3am…"_

"_So if a body is ever found… everyone will think it's Perry!"_

"_Will you two bloody old women shut your cake holes! In about five seconds the entire place is going to be filled with shooters and I do not want to be responsible for two dozy mares who got in the middle so get your soddin' arses out of there!" The Guvs' gruff voice came over the radio. He obviously hadn't released the button. "Only way to talk to 'em Tyler you bloody __wet lettuce."_

_I looked up, straight down the barrel of a sawn off shotgun. Instinctively I reached for Mayas' hand, she took it and squeezed._

"_This is what happens when they send little girls to do a mans' job." Perry said ominously. _

_From around the building I began to see members of CID appearing. They were all armed._

"_It's over Perry." The Guv shouted from somewhere behind us. I desperately wanted to turn and look, but I was frozen to the spot."_

"_Nowhere to run." Sam said._

_The shotgun was waved from Maya to me. "You want a couple of dead women on your conscience Hunt, because to me they will be just dead coppers? The only good copper is a dead one."_

"_Put the gun down Rodney." Sam sounded so calm. "We don't want anybody to get hurt."_

"_The only way that's going to happen is if you let me walk out of here." Perry said._

"_Not going to happen. I don't let murdering bastard scum go." Gene growled. _

"_Put down your weapons or I swear I'll kill them both!"_

"_Guv?" Sam said cautiously. _

"_You kill them… we kill you…It doesn't seem like the best career plan your point of view." The Guv said._

"_Guv." I could hear our DI becoming more insistent._

"_Why don't you give me the gun?" I said inching forwards. Maya was still holding on to one hand, I reached out with the other. "Come on Rodney, it's the only way this is going to be resolved peacefully."_

_He looked at me with cold calculating eyes. "You honestly think this is going to be resolved peacefully?" He wasn't nervous or shaking. "It's already over for me. They shouldn't have sent you sweetheart. But this way you're going to be on their conscience for a very, very long time." _

"_You don't have to do this… we can sort it out." I tried to keep the pleading out of my voice._

"_No." I heard the gun click. "No I don't think we can."_

_It all happened so quickly. One minute I was standing there the next I had been thrown sideways as the shot echoed around the empty car park. It was followed by a hail of returning fire. I raised my head to see Perry lying dead on the concrete. I looked around for Maya. She was lying next to me, her face turned away._

_Suddenly Sam had his arms around me. He wouldn't let me look at Maya. I struggled free just in time to see the Guv standing over her, he shook his head._

_I buried my face into Sams' jacket as he tried to comfort me._

"_Come on… let's get you out of here." He said almost lifting me, my legs just wouldn't work._

"_It's my fault." I sobbed. "I should have told her not to go. We should have waited."_

"_Shhh!" Sam said stroking my hair. "It's not your fault, she knew what she was doing."_

"_She had visions Sam… like you did… do you think she went back, she went home?" I looked up into his face desperately, his eyes were wet.__ I wanted him to tell me it was alright, that Maya was right now waking up in 2006 her whole life ahead of her._

_He held me so tight I could barely __breathe. "I don't know baby, right now all I can think about is you could have been killed!"_

"_But __**I**__ wasn't!" I said. "She saved me Sam. I owe her my life, both our lives." I placed his hand on my stomach. "I just want her to have hers, is that so wrong?"_

_He shook his head._

Alex read through the personnel files. Annie Tyler re Cartwright left the force 18th March 1978 on Maternity leave. She did not return.

Maya Roy (deceased) 23rd February 1978. Maya had never submitted a psyche evaluation in 2006, and she had no way of finding out from here what had happened to her. It was hopeless, there were no answers. There was however a report detailing the incident, statements from the officers present, all signed, sealed and counter signed by Gene Hunt. Alex wasn't able to read them. Her eyes were too full of tears.


	19. See My Baby Jive

It was weeks before Alex looked at the diaries again. She'd been so filled with hope, but now it had been dashed, in disgust she'd thrown them into the kitchen cupboard. Jim Keats had been upping the pressure. He was so certain that Gene was behind Sams' death… and now he was telling her that his office couldn't trace Annie either. There had been no mention of their baby.

After the day she'd had all she wanted was an enormous glass of wine and to try and forget about it all. Hunting in the cupboard her hand felt the diaries. She picked the top one, 1978 and began to flick through. Out of curiosity she wondered what had happened to Annie around her own birth date. It was an idle action but one that surprised her.

_4__th__ June 1978_

_Our daughter wasn't due for another few weeks and it couldn't happen soon enough for me. I felt bloated and huge like an over inflated balloon. Worse I had been suffering from terrible indigestion all day._

_After the Perry tragedy Sam was keener than ever to wrap me up in cotton wool. I insisted everything would be ok, but eventually he wore me down. My leave started early on 18__th__ March, since then I had been bored out of my tiny mind!_

_I decided to wander down to the station, I thought the walk would do me good. I could have a cup of tea with Phyllis, catch up on all the gossip and if Sam was around we could possibly have lunch together. It seemed like a very reasonable plan._

_The front desk was busy so I went straight up to CID without even getting noticed. _

"_You ok?" Sam asked kissing my cheek._

"_Yeah." I wrinkled my nose. "Bored… bit of indigestion, but fine. You eaten yet?"_

_He shook his head. "I'll just get my jacket."_

* * *

><p><em>The lift doors were just about to close when the Guvs' hand appeared. <em>

"_Bloody hell Cartwright if you get any bigger you'll start to have moons orbiting round ya!" He said looking me up and down. _

"_Not long now Sir." I said amiably. Truth be told I was feeling pretty uncomfortable._

"_That's what happens when you sit at home on your arse eating custard creams."_

"_Don't listen to him, you look beautiful." Sam smiled squeezing my hand._

"_You great poncy fairy boy Tyler." Gene grunted in disapproval. _"_Don't keep lover boy out too long, we've got things on." He growled at me. _

_Sam frowned. "No we haven't."_

"_Have." The Guv sniped back._

"_What?" Sam asked as Gene pressed the button, the lift started to descend. _

_He'd just opened his mouth to retort when we juddered to a halt. The lights flickered, but fortunately didn't go out._

"_What the… I thought they fixed this bloody thing?" Sam said pressing the buttons. Nothing happened._

_I felt a sharp pain. "Ooooh." I groaned._

"_You ok?" Sam asked._

_Despite the pain I managed to nod. "It's just indigestion. I'll be alright in a minute." And then my waters broke._

_The two of them stared at the growing puddle. Sam pointed to it… a startled look on his face. "Um, Annie, I don't think somehow that's indigestion." _

_A look of panic passed between them._

"_She's not having the bloody thing now is she?" Gene shouted. He began frantically pressing the buttons on the lift._

"_The emergency phone… where's the emergency phone?" Sam tried pushing the Guv out of the way, the two of them fighting each other to get the metal flap open._

"_Tyler! Will you calm down!" Hunt shouted, clearly equally as agitiated._

_I took a couple of deep breaths. The pain started to ease a bit as I leant against the wall._

_Sam had hold of the receiver, I could see him pressing the button. "Hello? Hello?"_

"_That's not how you do it." Gene took the receiver from Sam who immediately snatched it back. There was scuffling as the phone was wrenched back and forth. It would have been quite funny if I hadn't been a bit busy being in labour._

_Gene stepped back triumphantly with his prize, which was now no longer attached to the lift._

"_Oh, bloody marvellous!" Sam said his hands held out in despair. _

_Another contraction was on its way making me groan involuntarily. Sam was immediately at my side. _

"_Don't panic." Which seemed a bit rich considering he was currently on the wrong side of hysterical. _

"_I…am…not…the…one…panicking…" I said through gritted teeth._

"_Now, now… Annie luv… we're going to get out of here." Hunt said with overstated calm. "But in the meantime we really need you to cross your legs."_

"_I'm not holding back a bit of wind!" I snapped. "If this baby is coming then there is nothing you or I can do about it."_

"_Breathe." Sam was saying, "Like they taught in the classes." He began to make the odd puffing and blowing sounds we'd been shown._

"_What are you doing you great soft twonk?" The Guv said in amazement._

"_She's got to breathe." Sam replied, his attention still on me._

"_Well she's hardly going to forget is she?"_

"_Oh piss off. If you hadn't broken the phone…" Sam was facing up to the Guv. _

"_Well what good is that going to do, we don't want to encourage it?" Gene put a fag in his mouth. It was immediately snatched away by Sam. _

"_You can forget that as well. It's not good for Annie or the baby."_

"_It won't be very good for you either if I don't get a smoke. It calms my nerves…"_

"_**Your**__ nerves! You have the sensitivity of a Rhino on anti depressants!"_

_I felt the pain easing again. _

"_Gentlemen. I'm so sorry to interrupt, but if you could stop bickering for five minutes and get us out of here that would be 'really' helpful." I said as sweetly as I could manage._

_They managed to look sheepish. "Right then. Radio." Sam tapped his pockets, he checked them again. "I didn't pick it up." He said in horror. "Guv?"_

_The response was a shake of the head. "I was going to the pub, they can always ring there if they want me." _

"_It's times like these when I would kill for a mobile phone." Sam groaned in frustration._

"_A mobile what?" The Guv said. "Bugger that."_

_Turning around he began to beat on the door with his fists, shouting at the top of his voice, seconds later he was joined by Sam._

"_Wait… wait…" Gene said holding out his hands for silence._

_We could just hear Phyllis shouting from the other side of the door._

"_Phyllis… we're stuck. Call the engineers…" Sam shouted._

"_Already done boss, but they're on another job, could be a couple of hours."_

"_A couple of…" Sam looked to where I had slumped against the corner. "Phyllis we can't wait a couple of hours… Annie's having the baby."_

"_Oh, congratulations Sir." She shouted back cheerfully._

_Gene and Sam stared at each other in amazement._

"_You dozy great tart! What he means is she's having the bleedin baby right this bloody buggering soddin' minute… in this lift, 'ere… with us!" Gene shouted._

"_Annie's in there?" There was suddenly concern in my friends' voice. "Annie luv… you ok?"_

"_I've been better Phyllis!" I shouted back._

"_Don't you worry luv, I'll have those engineers here so fast it'll make their head spin."_

"_And call an ambulance Phyllis." Sam shouted._

"_Will do Boss."_

_Sam took of his jacket. "Give me your coat." He ordered Gene._

"_This… is a genuine camel hair coat." The Guv said indignantly._

"_We need to make her comfortable." Sams' said through tight lips._

"_Not on my bleedin' coat you're not." _

_I think the glare of his DI must have shamed him because with bad grace Gene took off his prized coat. _

"_You're having that cleaned after this." He muttered as Sam helped me onto the floor. He sat down next to me holding my hand._

"_How are you feeling?" _

_I nodded._

"_We should check how far apart the contractions are." He said._

"_Ere I hope that aint medical because I haven't had my dinner yet." Gene snapped._

"_It means we time them." Sam said sarcastically. He checked his watch. "Just let me know when AAAAAAARGH!" _

_I squeezed his fingers tightly as the pain wracked through me._

"_That would be one of those contradiction things then?" The Guv said leaning against the wall obviously amused at Sams' discomfort._

"_Annie… Annie…" He tried to prize my hand open._

"_Sorry." I gasped as it began to subside. I let go._

* * *

><p><em>We seemed to have been sitting there for ages. Sam had moved behind me so I could lean against him, he was stroking my hair during a lull. Gene was crouched on the floor.<em>

"_It's not right." The Guv said suddenly._

"_What isn't?" Sam asked. _

_I was in no mood for talking._

"_Blokes shouldn't get involved in dropping sprogs. All this being at the birth rubbish... It's not very manly."_

"_Manly?" Sams' voice dripped sarcasm._

_The guv nodded once. "You were there to make it… job done. You should be down the pub, wetting the babys' head."_

"_Move over Doctor Spock." Sam sniped._

"_What's that pointy eared git got to do with it?"_

_My screaming seemed to stop the debate._

"_They're getting really close together." Sam said looking at his watch._

"_Do you think so?" I panted crossly._

"_Get crabby don't they?" The Guv added. I sent him a glare that could have shattered glass. _

_With a silent whistle he looked away taking a pull from his hip flask._

"_How are you doing in there?" Phyllis shouted._

_Gene got to his feet. "Where are those bloody engineers Phyllis, I've nearly run out of scotch!"_

"_Stuck in traffic, they'll be here as soon as they can, how's Annie?"_

"_OOOOh!" I yelled. "Sam… it's coming… the baby is coming I can feel it."_

"_Gene I'm going to need you to help me!" Sam said._

_The Guv looked horrified. "You have got to be joking me."_

* * *

><p><em>I don't remember very much about what happened next. It was all just a blur. I was clinging to the Guv as if my life depended on it screaming at the top of my lungs. Sam shouted encouragement as he delivered our daughter. As her cries rang out I couldn't stop myself crying.<em>

"_Is it…?" I gasped._

_Sam wrapped her in his leather jacket, wiping her face with his handkerchief. "We have a little girl." He was grinning all over his face as he looked down at her. "She's amazing, just like her mother."_

_I reached out as he placed her on my chest. She nuzzled towards me as Sam put his arms around us, kissing my forehead._

_The Guv peered over. "She's got your ears Tyler… poor sod."_

_Sam glared at him._

"_Ahem!" The Guv coughed stiffly before standing up and brushing off his trousers. "And Cartwright, the last time I heard language like that it was coming out of a Scouse docker as I was doing the fandango on his 'ead."_

_I smiled with embarrassment._

_Finally the doors were prised open. The space was filled with worried faces as Sam helped me to my feet. "Nice one boss… Mrs boss." Chris said grinning._

"_Oooh." Phyllis cooed, stroking my little ones cheek. "Well done Annie luv."_

"_Everyone. We would like you to meet Alice Ruth Tyler." I said proudly._

_There was a round of applause as the ambulance men ushered my new family into the emergency vehicle. _

_The last thing I heard was the Guv. "What about me? I did the hard bit… and my flask is empty… somebody buy me a drink!"_


	20. It's a Family Affair

Stake outs were boring. It was the part of the job Alex hated most. Sometimes however it could be extremely useful. She'd engineered it so that on this particular job she was accompanied by Chris instead of Gene. He hadn't liked the idea one bit but a few charm filled comments about how it was a waste of his time and, of course, a flash of cleavage, the Guv had eventually relented.

Chris was apparently reading a car magazine, although Alex knew there was actually the Beano in there. She smiled at his pretence.

"What do you know about Alice Tyler?" Alex said out of the blue.

His rabbit in headlights stare gave him away. Chris definitely knew something. He blinked several times.

"Who?" He said recovering himself.

"Alice Tyler." She said innocently. "Sams' daughter."

"The boss never had a daughter." There was a slight quaver to the words.

Alex turned in her seat giving Chris her undivided attention. He seemed to shrink away from her gaze.

"That isn't exactly true Chris, is it?" She said sweetly.

The poor lad stared back. He tried an unconvincing laugh. "Women always liked the boss so you never know, but I think our Annie would have killed him!"

Alex winced at the unfortunate phrase. Reaching into her pocket she fished out a photograph. It was slightly bent where it had been wedged in Annies' diary, but there was no denying Sam, Annie and a newborn baby. The parents were smiling into the camera, it was a happy scene.

"Sam and Annies' baby." She said handing it over.

It was difficult to read the look on Chris' face. He seemed to gaze at the photograph for ages. Eventually he passed it back, his hand was shaking.

"No… you see…" He began as the lie formed in his brain. "That was the baby of one of the plonks' she brought it into the station and there were photographs… there is probably one somewhere of the Guv holding it…" He smiled in the desperate hope that she was buying it.

Somehow Alex could not imagine Gene cooing over a newborn. She focussed her attention on the photo again.

"Chris, you can clearly see this is their baby… why is it such a secret?"

The DC buried his head in the magazine. "I don't know anything about it boss… you must have got it wrong."

"Chris?"

"I have to go to the… um toilet boss." And with that he shot out of the car.

Alex thumped the steering wheel in frustration.

* * *

><p>Ray was even less help. Alex perched on the edge of his desk as he was writing a report. She slid the photograph across so that it was in his line of vision.<p>

"What's this?" He asked.

"What do you think it is?"

"Picture?" He pushed it back towards me. "What of it?"

"It's Sam Tyler with his wife and daughter."

"That's Cartwright but I dunno who the sprog is."

Drake had never seen Ray so engrossed in his paperwork.

"Doesn't it look like a family picture?"

He shrugged. "Could have been anyone, niece, friends kid… anyone?"

"But it isn't anyone is it Ray… Why won't anyone admit there was a child?"

Carling stood up quickly. "Perhaps because you are looking for something that isn't there. There was no kid ok?" He said furiously. Alex noticed the DS glance over her shoulder. DCI Hunt was leaning against the door to his office watching them.

"What's this Raymondo, some tart claiming she's got a bun in the oven?"

Alex moved to grab the photograph but Ray was too quick for her. He took it over to the Guv.

"DI Drake…" He exaggerated the words. "Has found a picture from somewhere, she reckons Sam Tyler had a kid."

Gene didn't even look at it. "Bolly, my office now!"

Feeling a little like a naughty schoolgirl Alex obeyed. The door was slammed shut behind her.

"We've got scumbags and bastard murderers to catch Bolly, not to mention that tosser Keats breathing down our necks and what is my DI doing? I'll tell you, fannying about with some photo of a dead man."

"You know there was a daughter Gene, I know you do."

"Oh you **know **do you…? Do please enlighten me. Sam Tyler was as straight as they come. Ok, he may have chased a bit of skirt when he was single, but he never strayed from Cartwright, she'd have had his knackers on a spike!"

"Annie is in the picture Guv… it's their child and I know you were there when she was born!" Alex was trying to keep the hysteria out of her voice. "Just tell me why everyone is denying she existed."

Hunt looked at the photograph, there was almost a tenderness with the way he stroked the paper. His head snapped up, a steely glint in his eye.

"She died ok? Tyler took it badly, so did Annie. What you don't understand yet is that we were a family, a bloody dysfunctional one, but still a family. We all felt it. **We** decided that it would never ever be mentioned again. Now you're raking it all up. I have told you this more than once Bolly. I will not… WILL NOT…" He thumped the desk. "Tell you again. Leave Sam Tyler alone!"

"When? How did it happen?" Alex asked gently.

"You're like a terrier with a friggin' bone!" To her horror Gene ripped the photograph in half and threw it into the waste bin. "There, it's done with. Now go and find something bloody useful to do."

Alone in CID later that evening, Alex crept into Hunts' office. She carefully checked through the contents of the waste bin. One bottle of scotch… empty. Several cigarette packets… also empty and a newspaper. There was no sign of the photograph.

Alex couldn't wait to get home. She needed to find out the answers. Flipping through the remainder of 1978 there was nothing. She opened 1979 straight at what would have been Alices' first birthday.

_4__th__ June 1979_

_I do not know what I was thinking! The only excuse I can give is post natal insanity. It seemed like such a wonderful idea to celebrate Alices' birthday with everyone from the mother and toddler group. Suddenly I found myself with a house full of screaming children and stressed out mothers. There was a knock on the door. I'd just gone to answer it but Sam had beaten me there. Gene Hunt was leaning against the doorframe._

"_Oh God!" Sam pleaded. "Please tell me we have a body… an armed blag… I'd even settle for an illegally parked bicycle!"_

"_Hey!" I said. "I heard that!"_

_The Guv shook his head. "Sorry Tyler. I do come bearing gifts though."_

_Slightly embarrassed he lifted up a pure white polar bear teddy. _

"_Oh that is so adorable. Thanks Guv, Alice will love it." _

_The Guv strode across to where Alice was sitting on the floor. He crouched down next to her and waved the teddy. Her little arms immediately reached out for it. She made a noise like Bo..bo. It could have been thank you or piss off, the Guv seemed to take it as the former. _

"_You're welcome." He said tapping her lightly on the nose._

"_Bo-bo the bear gives you any trouble little lady and you call the Gene Genie." _

_Alice giggled. _

_With a slightly self conscious cough he stood up and walked back over to the hallway where we were waiting._

"_Poof." Sam said, laughing._

_From the Guvs' pocket he produced a bottle of scotch. Sam lifted the glass he already had in his hand and waved it in resigned reply. "Way ahead of you Gene."_

_I pulled on Sams' shirt. "Gimme." I said gesturing to the glass. He raised both eyebrows and cradled the glass in his arm. _

"_Mine!"_

"_I'm serious… gimme."_

_His shoulders sagged a little as he gave it up. I took the glass and gulped it all down in one go. The pair of them looked at me in utter amazement as I handed it back._

"_It was either that or you have to take me in for mass bloody murder." I said coughing slightly as the liquid burned my throat. _

"_Jesus Tyler." The Guv said peering around me. His eyes had settled on one of the mothers who was somewhat blessed in the chest department. "There's some tasty bits in 'ere."_

"_Are there?" He said with an exaggerated lack of enthusiasm._

"_He's been like this all day." I complained._

_My husband looked at me with a completely deadpan expression. "Inside I'm doing cartwheels... Darling." He replied in monotone._

"_Oh take him away will you." I said to the Guv who was still staring unashamedly at cleavage. "Or would you like to borrow one of Alices' bibs?"_

_Sam guided the Guv away, still looking over his shoulder. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about anyway."_

Drake glared at the diary as if the page was deliberately taunting her. There was a soft knock at the door. Hastily slipping the book under the seat cushion she padded across the room to open it.

"Alex." DCI Jim Keats pushed his glasses up his nose. "I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

"Of course not Jim." She replied, although the last thing she wanted at the moment was another interrogation by the Chief of Discipline and Complaints.

"I didn't get a chance to speak to you today. I understood there was some kind of altercation with Hunt?" He almost spat the last word, but his manner was as always cordial and polite. It made Alex wonder if she had imagined it.

"Do you have anything new for my report?"

"No." She lied. Something made her want to protect the little girl who could make Gene Hunt buy a teddy bear. "Have you managed to find out any more about Sam Tyler… or Annie?"

Keats shook his head, he was watching her carefully.

"I was hoping you might have some more news." He stepped forward. "The net is closing in Alex. You only have to look at what Hunt did to you. It's not so impossible to believe that he could do the same to two of his own officers. We're getting close, we need to keep going so we can find the truth and end this once and for all."

Drake nodded. "If you don't mind though Jim, I'd like to get some sleep, it's been a hell of a day."

The DCI smiled, it was disarming in a way. "Of course. I am sorry to have bothered you… see you in the morning."

She waited a good half an hour before fishing out the diary.

_4__th__ June 1979 (cont)_

_It was such a relief when the last of them went home. I picked up Alice. Her face was covered in chocolate and her eyes were starting to close. She had an iron grip on Bo-bo. _

"_Let's get you washed madam and off to bed before Daddy and Uncle Gene come back singing songs that I don't particularly want you learning the words to." _

_She gurgled something in her half asleep state. _

"_Yes Sweetheart, that's the other noise they'll probably be making." I carried her up the stairs and got her ready for bed. I'd just kissed her goodnight when I heard the front door._

"_Sam?" I called down. Just his head appeared around the door. _

"_Is it safe?" He said in an exaggerated whisper._

"_Yes, it's safe, they're all gone." I said walking down the stairs. "You can deal with a mob of drunken football hooligans but a few new mothers and you run for the hills?"_

"_For the pub actually... They were terrifying!" He made a face filled with horror. Coming all the way through the door he took my hand and led me through to the sitting room. "But hopefully I might be forgiven? Alice in bed?"_

"_Yes, bless her she was exhausted_. _So you're expecting to be forgiven for running out on us?_ _This should be good."_

"_I've got something for you?" He was acting very coy._

"_Oh yeah?" I replied laughing. _

"_Uh huh." Rocking back and forth on his heels he shoved both hands in his jeans pockets, a look of mischief on his face. "I wanted to wait until we were alone."_

"_What have you got then?" I said folding my arms._

"_It's in my pocket." _

"_Is it now?" I couldn't help but smile, when Sam was being silly it was hard not to._

"_Uh huh."_

_He nodded towards his inside jacket pocket._

"_What?"_

_The nod again._

_I unfolded my arms and put my hand in. It was a small box._

_He must have seen my questioning look._

"_Open it then."_

_Inside was the most beautiful eternity ring. "Oh!" I managed blinking back a tear._

_Taking it out of the box he placed it on my finger just above my wedding ring._

"_Just so that you remember…" He said tapping it. "That whatever happens, ever, I will always…" Lifting my chin he made me look into his eyes. "**Always** love you Annie."_


	21. See ya Sammyboy

**A/N I should warn you that this chapter contains suggestion of character death.**

**A/N 2 I would like to apologise to fans of A2A that in order for things to work I may have to deviate from A2A canon a bit.**

* * *

><p>This was stupid. Alex thought, it was getting her nowhere. She slammed the diary shut and opened the one marked 1980. 'I should have done this in the beginning.' She muttered.<p>

_2__nd__ January 1980_

_It was the day every coppers wife dreads. The knock on the door. The moment when you find out that your husband won't be coming home ever again… The only difference was I was expecting it._

"_Guv?" I said as Gene stood on the doorstep. He looked so uncomfortable. Phyllis stood by his side. It was so unusual to see her out of the station I was slightly taken aback._

"_Can we come in Annie luv?" He said. There was an edge to his tone and my stomach sank._

"_It's Sam isn't it?"_

_Gene looked as though he would rather be anywhere else than here._

_Phyllis ushered me into the sitting room. "Let's go and sit down Annie…"_

_Ignoring her I grabbed hold of the Guvs' coat and searched his face desperately. "Tell me."_

"_We were on a job, jewellery blag. Sam gave chase and we don't know what happened…"_

"_Sam?" I asked._

"_Looks like he lost control, the car caught fire and ended up in the canal." He said, not being able to return my gaze._

"_Where… where is he?"_

_I looked from Gene to Phyllis. They were both looking at me with such pain in their eyes._

"_Annie… luv…" Phyllis started to say._

"_We couldn't find his body." Gene said quickly._

_There, it was said. Like ripping a plaster from a wound, quick, painful but done... Body._

_Upstairs Alice began to cry._

"_Excuse me. I need to see to my daughter." I said. It was like I was in a slow motion dream._

"_Let me…" I could see the pity on Phyllis' face. _

_I shook my head and walked slowly up the stairs. Alice was sitting up in her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Picking her up I tried to soothe her, it was more of an instinct than a conscious action. I returned to the sitting room, my baby cradled in my arms. _

_The Guv was pacing up and down, Phyllis just awkwardly looking at her feet. The moment Alice saw Gene she immediately reached out for him. He took her and she rested her head against his shoulder with her thumb in her mouth, blinking back at me._

"_Um… would you like a cup of tea?" I don't even know why I said it. What else was there to say? _

"_I'll make it." Phyllis was desperate to be doing something. I nodded._

_I sat down heavily on the sofa, my fingers twisting the eternity ring. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on that moment. 'Whatever happens, ever, I will always, __**always**__ love you Annie."_

_I stood up. "How could this happen Gene?" I had my hand over my mouth as if I didn't want to ask these things. "Sam was so careful… You drive like a maniac but it's Sam who…" _

_I stifled a sob._

"_I don't know luv." He shook his head. "There doesn't seem to have been any other car involved."_

_This must be hell for him. Despite their differences Sam and Gene had been close, like brothers. I could only imagine that his agony must be nearly as palpable as my own. No-one to blame, no-one to make pay, just a stupid accident._

_Gene handed Alice back to me. "I'll just be…" He pointed to the door. _

_By the time he came back Phyllis was trying to amuse Alice while I shakily tried to drink my tea. He had something in his hand. Sam's jacket._

"_Guv?" Phyllis said quietly. "That's evidence?"_

"_It's Sam." He snapped handing it to me._

_I couldn't help myself. I immediately buried my face into its folds and breathed in. If I closed my eyes I could imagine it __**was**__ Sam, that he had his arms around me and he was telling me everything was going to be alright. _

"_This has been through some things?" I said looking up at Gene._

_He nodded as I clung on to the battered thing as if it was a life raft._

_Gene crouched down so his face was level with Alice. She looked up, so wide eyed and innocent, completely unaware that her world was about to change for ever._

"_Your daddy…" He poked her stomach making her wriggle and smile. "I made a promise to your daddy."_

"_Gaddy…?" She said looking up expectantly at the door. My heart just broke._

_Gene blinked and inhaled slowly. "I made a promise that as long as there is breath in my body, If you need the Gene Genie, I will always be there for you little lady." Alice took hold of his finger and for one moment I thought he was going to lose whatever self control he had left. "Of course I told him he was being a great wet Nancy…" He said gruffly, shaking off the emotion. "But I promised him, and I make that same promise to you."_

"_Thank you." I said and I really meant it._

* * *

><p>Gene had lied. That was Alexs' second thought after she read the entry again. Alice was still very much alive when Sam disappeared. Her first thought was for the Guv himself. She knew he could be difficult, detached, even cruel, but she could not imagine him being able to stand in front of Annie and tell her that her husband was dead knowing that he was responsible. Worst still facing the little girl who obviously held such a soft spot in the Manc lions' heart. The guilt, if he was the one who took away her Daddy, wouldn't have been possible for anyone to bear.<p>

_18__th__ January 1980_

_What is the point of a funeral when there is no-one to bury? It's not for the deceased. I sound so clinical. It wasn't 'the deceased' it was Sam, my Sam… only it wasn't even him. The funeral is so that everyone can say goodbye. But this was hollow and empty, just like the casket._

_Phyllis came to the house early, fussing around me like a mother hen. I wanted to tell her to stop, to make everything stop. 'Sorry everyone, I've changed my mind…' but it wasn't possible to change anything now. Alice was whiney, not surprising when her mother was jumping at every shadow. I held her tight, my heart beating so hard it hurt my chest. As I sat on the sofa stroking my daughters back, Sams' jacket lay next to me, just as if he had just come in from work and thrown it there. I picked it up and wrapped it around Alice, she nestled down against me just as she had on the day she was born, while we waited for the hearse to arrive._

_Gene had obviously been steeling himself for the worst. I smelt the whisky on him as soon as he stood next to me in the church, despite the situation I managed a small smile. How many times had he and Sam argued the toss over a bottle of scotch. It was a sobering thought… from now on the Guv would be drinking alone._

_Chris and Ray stood on the other side of me. Chris, nervous and shaking, desperately wanting to say something comforting, but having no idea what it should be. Ray took the opposite approach. When he saw me there was a brief military nod, as if that was all that needed to be said. I was shielded from the rest of the mourners by Gene. _

_There were so many people! They over spilled from the church into the graveyard beyond. Some in black, some in uniform, Sam had touched so many peoples lives it didn't seem possible. He'd never been particularly religious so I made sure it was more a service about the Sam Tyler we knew rather than some deity who was allowing my family to be ripped apart._

_There were tears, lots of tears… I didn't feel I had any left to cry._

_As they lowered the coffin into the grave I felt my knees buckle. Gene was there to hold me up, keep me strong. I threw a rose onto the top of the coffin, unable to speak. __"See ya Sammy-boy." Gene said quietly, before leading me away._

* * *

><p><em>They're probably all still in the pub. That's what you do isn't it? When a job's done you go to the pub with your mates, with your colleagues and you get some respite.<em>

_I just wanted to be alone. Putting Alice on the floor in front of the television I curled up on the sofa with my head against Sams' jacket. I needed the smell of him._

"_Please tell me I am doing the right thing." I whispered, desperately needing some reassurance._

_There were feint voices that sounded like they were right outside the house, laughing, shouting. The clink of glasses and the general bonhomie of an evening in the Railway arms, I was even sure I could hear Nelson. 'What can I get you Mon Brav?' Crossing to the window, before I even pulled back the curtains I knew what I would see. Over the last few months strange happenings had become a regular occurrence. I was almost becoming used to it. As I pulled back the material there was no window, no curtains, all I could see were stars, like I was standing at the end of the universe looking out into time itself. It took my breath away._

Stars! Alex felt like her jaw would hit the floor. 'The stars… why stars?' She remembered her own experience. Standing there gazing out into the abyss. Annie had seen them too. Greedily she read on.

_A soft tapping on the door made me start. When I turned back to the window the street had returned, everything was normal. I wondered who could be calling today. Someone coming to check that I was alright? I knew who I wanted it to be, more than anything in the world I wanted to open that door and see Sam standing there with a dopey look on his face. That was the one thing I knew wasn't going to happen._

"_Can I help you?"_

_The man was tall, dark hair slicked back above rounded glasses. His raincoat was pulled tight around him, the collar turned up against the wind._

"_Mrs Tyler?" He said sympathetically. His accent wasn't local. _

"_Yes?"_

_He flashed a warrant card. "I've been sent from Scotland Yard. I want you to know that we are all so desperately sorry for your loss."_

"_Scotland Yard?" I must have looked completely flummoxed._

_He nodded. "May I come in?"_

_He sat awkwardly on one end of the sofa while I sat at the other. "What can I do for you?" I said eventually. He had been staring at Alice in a way that made me quite uncomfortable._

_She turned to look at the stranger. Her eyes narrowed and suddenly she began to scream and cry hysterically. __Picking her up I began to pace backwards and forwards, patting her back._

"_I'm so sorry. We've buried her father today, it must have upset her more than I first thought. At this age you don't know how much they really understand."_

"_I quite understand Mrs Tyler. My name is DCI Jim Keats, I run the Department of Discipline and Complaints. I've come to talk to you about the circumstances surrounding your husbands'… accident, and how that might relate to a DCI Gene Hunt."_

Alex threw the diary away from her as though it had become radio active. Jim Keats had been to speak to Annie, he'd been to see her on the day of her husbands' funeral. Up until now the face of D & C had always claimed he began his investigations when Alex was shot. Now it seemed Keats hadn't exactly been the picture of honesty himself.


	22. Annie in the Sky with Diamonds

Alex crawled on hands and knees towards the fallen diary. Her head was spinning. Jim Keats had lied to her about not being able to find Annie, he'd known about Alice… what else did he know?

With shaking hands she lifted the book onto her knees.

_18__th__ January 1980 (cont)_

"_Gene Hunt was my husbands' friend Sir." I said coolly. Alice was still screaming. "Sweetheart… shhh?" I cooed as I patted her back._

"_Call me Jim… please." The DCI gave a knowing smile. "That's how Hunt operates. He keeps people close, traps them in that cesspit he calls 'A' division. You were in that department, you know how he works."_

"_Sam believed in him."_

_He took of his glasses and began to polish them on his tie as though he was considering what to say next. _

"_DI Tyler had grave concerns about some of Hunts' activities. Does that surprise you?"_

_I shook my head. "He was always the first to tell Gene if he went too far."_

_The spectacles had been returned giving Keats an owlish expression. "And 'Gene' doesn't like to be told does he?" _

_Alice had quietened down. Now she was making gentle sobbing noises into my shoulder._

"_I'll be honest with you Annie. May I call you Annie?"_

_I nodded._

"_Your husband was working with us at D & C, all very hush hush. We already had an investigation under way into some of the more dangerous practices employed by Hunt. DI Tyler had been invaluable in gaining evidence. We were closing in and Hunt knew it. That's why the 'accident' happened, Sam Tyler needed to be eliminated."_

"_That's not possible." _

_Keats stood up and took a step towards me. It sent Alice into a renewed spasm of screaming._

"_I know you don't want to believe it Annie. Some of the things DCI Hunt is capable of would terrify you. They terrify me… they terrified Sam when he peeled away the layers of that mans' corruption…"_

"_So you are telling me that Gene killed Sam?"_

_Keats suddenly smiled. I couldn't see what was so amusing._

"_That is the best part Annie." He was suddenly animated, moving around the room his arms in motion._

"_The best part is that your husband isn't dead."_

_A look of utter shock passed across my face. "Not…dead?" I gasped._

"_No." _

_Even Alice had stopped making any noise, you could have heard a pin drop._

"_They didn't find a body because we were able to rescue him in time. It was fortunate that he was wearing a transmitter otherwise we never would have found him." _

_Keats was almost capering in his excitement. _

"_He's alive?" Once again my heart was pounding. "Sam? He's alive?"_

"_Very much so. Few cuts and bruises but he is desperate to see you. We have him in protective custody in my department. It seemed the safest place. He wanted to call or come himself but you understand the danger for him, for all of you. That's why we had to let you go through with the funeral. If Hunt is prepared to attempt murder once, who can say what he will do if he discovers he failed. Sam will be able to testify and the danger will be gone."_

_Sitting down I barely knew what to say. _

"_I can take you to him. He's driving us all mad worrying about you and the little girl, what you must be going through. Will you let me take you to him?" He looked so enthusiastic, hopeful._

"_What are we waiting for?" I said excitedly. "Just give me a few minutes… I want to change and put on some make-up… you understand?"_

"_Of course." Keats replied with a gallant bow. "I'll wait in the car."_

_Once he'd gone I was in a whirlwind of activity. Having quickly thrown on my red dress, I did my make up and hair. I'm taking Sams' jacket with me. He will want it; he loves that stupid battered old thing. I am going to hide these diaries where they will be safe. But I know __**you**__ will find them. Hopefully they will help you to understand who we were. How mad, agonising and utterly amazing the love was between us, and why we had to do what we did. Please forgive us._

Drake looked at the page in utter astonishment. Who were these diaries meant for? There was nothing after that entry, but several pages had been torn out. Had Gene found them and destroyed evidence? No, not Gene, for one thing he would have burned the whole stack of diaries, probably even the house down, subtlety was not his strong point. Keats? He may have left the diaries for Alex to find. He had known the house and if the last few pages were missing, had they contained something incriminating for Keats? What was it you did Annie, you and Sam? You wanted forgiveness from someone, who? Gene because you betrayed him, he had obviously never been charged with anything. It was just a huge puzzle. There was another nagging thought that wouldn't leave her head. Had Annie Tyler ever come home at all?

Staring at the wall she tried to work it out. Annie had gone with Keats, Sam Tyler betrayed his friend. It made no sense. She should call Gene Hunt… make him tell her what had happened. Glancing at her watch, it was late. Would he still be awake? Probably. Sober? Most probably not. She needed him to be in full control of his faculties when she presented him with this.

"Go back Alex." The thought appeared in her head as if from no-where. Go back. Scrabbling to her feet she found 1979. Flicking through the latter half she noticed there were certain entries helpfully marked with stars in the margin.

* * *

><p><em>8<em>_th__ July 1979_

_The oddest thing happened to me today. As I write this I can't even begin to explain it. Alice had been fussy. I knew what it was; she didn't want to go to sleep until her daddy came home. That was the worst thing when Sam had a job at night, not only did I miss him but Alice did too. _

_They'd been working on a drugs ring, it was operating through one of the larger clubs in town, and Sam believed the owner was in on it. Recently he'd been coming home only to spend the evening pouring over statements and autopsy reports, transcribing endless surveillance tapes and asking me my opinion on this and that. I didn't mind. It helped to make me still feel part of the team. Alice was my life, but there were things I missed about being at work. Deep down I was always going to be a copper, so working through things with Sam was sometimes the highlight of my day. Actually being allowed to go on the raid however was crossing the line. I did try and argue that he'd managed to get drugged in a nightclub, but he wasn't buying it. "You were there if you remember?" He'd said kissing my nose. I couldn't really argue with that._

_So, I suppose I was slightly anxious and Alice picked up on it. I took her out for a walk in the hope that she would settle down. It was a warm evening as I pushed the buggy along the pavement past the park, it was still early but there was no-one else around. _

_Suddenly I heard a noise behind me. It was the sound of running feet, but they didn't seem like they were on pavement, they sounded like someone was crashing through trees._

_I turned quickly back towards the park, but it wasn't there. Nothing was there except for a vast expanse of night sky. It stretched out as far as I could see, down from the edge of the pavement and out into the universe. Stars twinkled brightly and the whole city seemed to have been bathed in silence. _

_Backing away in shock I wondered if Alice could see them too. I looked into the pushchair, but she was fast asleep. When I turned back everything was back to normal. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going mad._

* * *

><p><em>1<em>_st__ August 1979_

_I had the dream again last night. It is becoming a regular occurrence. I wish I could understand what it meant. When you think about all the times I worked with CID. I've been threatened with a gun (a lot), a chain, tied up, kidnapped (more than once) and generally been put into situations which would give any normal person the screaming habdabs. Every time Sam has been there to save me. This is what makes it so abnormal, because when' it' happened Sam was still there. _

_Years ago, when I still believed Sam needed professional help, he got it into his head that a suspect, Vic Tyler, was his father. A man younger than Sam was his father… definitely something for the funny farm. We'd been trying to track down a gang who was taking over the city, Vic Tyler was involved and we believed him to have murdered several people and be running the new gang. Sam said he knew where Vic would be, a family wedding, so I went along ahead to try and find them. When there was no sign of Sam I followed Vic into a wood, I was trying to radio for help when he came out behind me. The fist connected with my face before I even knew what was happening._

_This is where reality differs. In my dream Sam doesn't appear in the nick of time. Vic Tyler keeps kicking and punching me until the darkness comes. _

_I must have been screaming or crying, but I woke up with Sams' arms around me. He was making shhhing noises into my hair. Clinging to him, I held on so tightly he had to loosen my grip so he could breath._

_He brushed the hair from my face. "Hey? What was that all about?"_

"_Nightmare… horrible, horrible." I gasped._

"_Now you know what Gene says. Nightmares are the product of a guilty conscience…?" _

_I tried to smile. "It would have to be a hell of a nightmare to rattle the Guv then."_

_We lay down and I snuggled into his chest until I heard the rhythmic breathing that meant he was asleep. It took me a good deal longer before I dared close my eyes._

* * *

><p><em>8<em>_th__ November 1979_

_Things are getting silly. Now normally…ha what is even normal any more, I am married to a man who has proof he comes from the future? Let me try again. If this had happened eight years ago, I would have gone to have myself measured for a white coat, one of the ones that does up at the back. Now I'm not so sure. The time had come to talk to Sam and just hope that he believed me. How do you bring up the subject? Until now I hadn't realised how difficult it must have been for Sam to confide in me all those years ago._

_Alice had a babysitter and we'd gone to see 'The Life of Brian'. I wasn't a huge fan of Monty Python but it was something Sam wanted to see. _

"_I can't believe they get away with that!" I said as we walked back to the car. There had been protestors outside the cinema with placards. _

"_Monty Python or the idiots with banners? It will blow over. Malcolm Muggeridge doesn't help. They'll be argueing it for years."_

"_Malcolm Muggeridge? He won't be interested in a silly film surely?"_

_He winked at me. "Trust me, that debate will make him."_

"_One of your 'predictions'?" I said teasing. _

"_You could say that."_

"_Sam?" I'd asked once he'd started the car. I wanted a situation where he wouldn't have to look at me; it would make what I had to say so much easier._

"_That sounds ominous?" He gave a quick smile before pulling out into traffic._

"_Do you still see things?"_

"_All the time, it generally stops me walking into them." He said still smiling._

"_I'm serious. You had visions and you heard things… does that ever happen now?"_

_He was finally listening. "Why do you want to know?"_

"_That isn't answering the question. Don't come the Detective Inspector stuff with me. It's a simple answer, yes or no."_

"_What's this all about Annie?"_

"_God you can be so bloody evasive!" I snapped crossing my arms and looking out the window._

"_Sorry. Ok, ok, sometimes. I don't know whether it's memories or what it is, why do you want to know?"_

_My shoulders relaxed. "Because I'm having them too."_


	23. A Vision Shared

_8__th__ November 1979 (cont)_

_Sometimes I wish Sam was a postman, or a dustman or anything other than a copper. _

_He placed the tape recorder in front of me and pressed pay and record._

_I nodded towards it. "Really?" I asked._

"_Really… it's important that we don't forget anything. God is in the detail."_

"_But I feel so… silly."_

_He sighed. "I don't want to miss something important. How often have we spoken to a suspect and…?"_

"_So I'm a suspect now?" I laughed._

"_No… how often have we picked up something afterwards that we didn't hear in the original conversation. This is only for you and me."_

_I nodded._

"_So… tell me…"_

"_Right."_

_Sam looked at me expectantly pencil in hand. He raised his eyebrows and smiled._

"_This isn't easy you know?" I said squirming slightly in my seat._

_Reaching across the table he squeezed my hand. "I know. Just take your time."_

* * *

><p><em>I told him about the stars, I'd seen them several times. It turned out he had been seeing them too. <em>

"_Gave me a shock too!" It had happened to him when he was in the Gents at work. "Standing there doing what you need to do and suddenly you're peeing over the edge of the bloody world. That is going to put you right off your stroke!"_

_His theatrics made me giggle. I was starting to relax._

"_Do you hear voices?" I asked. Sam shook his head, "not really voices, sounds like… well I can only describe it as a pub?"_

"_That's it, and you can hear Nelson?"_

"_It __**could**__ be Nelson… " He conceded, "What else?"_

_This was where it was going to get tricky._

"_The television." I said. I began to bite my bottom lip. _

"_Ah… some things never change. Just don't tell me it's the little girl with the clown?"_

"_Clown?" I laughed, but he was serious. "What's wrong with clowns?"_

"_Not clowns, this clown. You know the one on the test card and the creepy little girl?"_

"_She's not creepy?"_

_He looked at me wide eyed. "Trust me, you don't know the half of it."_

"_No, it's not the test card girl. The T.V. was on in the background while I was ironing. I wasn't even properly watching it. Then I was aware that someone was saying my name. I looked up properly and there was this woman."_

"_What woman, can you describe her, someone you knew?"_

"_No, not someone I knew, but she seemed… familiar? I sound insane don't I?"_

"_Not to me." _

_It was encouragement of sorts. "Ok. description. She was tall, I can't tell how tall obviously. Her hair was really, really curly, like a tight perm and she was wearing huge sparkly earrings and some kind of enormous white fur coat. She looked a bit tarty actually."_

I was under cover Alex said, before her thoughts caught up with her. Wait, Annie had seen me?

"_Go on."_

"_She said 'Annie' then she looked straight at me, I swear straight at me and said 'It wasn't supposed to happen Annie.'"_

_Sam leaned forward. "What wasn't supposed to happen?"_

"_I don't know. I knelt down in front of the telly and asked her what she meant. She just smiled and said 'It's the key to everything.'"_

"_A key, you're certain she said a key?"_

"_Yes, then Alice started to cry. I looked away, just for a second, and when I turned back it was some cooking programme."_

_Sam tapped his pencil against his lips, a sure sign that something was whizzing around his brain. "What else?"_

"_How much more do you need? After that I knew I had to tell you what was going on."_

_Switching off the tape he got up and put his arms around me. _

"_Ooh. And then there are the nightmares?" I said suddenly remembering. Sam tensed. I'd already told him about my recurring dream, he hadn't said much about it._

"_I wouldn't worry too much about them." There was something in the way he said it. Too quickly, dismissive… not the attention to detail you would normally expect. Pushing him away I searched his face. Sam may be a brilliant detective, as a liar he's absolutely useless, I often wonder how we got away with being undercover._

"_You know something?" I said._

_It was enough to make him turn away, hands in his pockets, a sure sign that I'd hit a nerve. Catching his arm I made him turn back to face me._

_He looked like a naughty boy who'd just been caught raiding the biscuit tin. _

"_What do you know about the dream?" I demanded._

_He looked at me with his head on one side, an agony of indecision on his face._

"_I can't tell you." He said softly. "It would just… I can't Annie, please let it go."_

"_How can I let it go? Why won't you tell me?"_

"_Because…" He looked up to the ceiling, trying to find the words. "Because you wouldn't understand. It would… it would hurt you and I never want to do that."_

"_You're hurting me now!" _

"_It… I just can't."_

"_Please Sam. I need to know. How bad can it possibly be?"_

_He gave a huge sigh. Taking his hand out of his pocket he placed it over my heart and closed his eyes. _

"_It's still beating." I said._

"_It's still amazing." He replied cryptically._

"_I need to know Sam." I said quietly._

_He removed his hand and nodded. "I always knew I would have to tell you one day."_

* * *

><p><em>We sat side by side on the sofa. My hand held tightly in both of his while he stared at the floor.<em>

"_You know where I came from?" He began. "That I had an accident and I woke up here?"_

"_You were in a coma."_

_He nodded. I could see how much pain this was causing him, but at the same time I needed answers. _

"_And then I woke up in 2006. I was home Annie, the one place I had been fighting to get to and do you know what the only thing I could think about was? This place… you… everything I had left behind here."_

_I squeezed his hand in encouragement. _

"_I must have wandered the city for hours. Places we'd been together, you know that little restaurant on Turner street? That had long since been demolished. Streets where the Guv had nearly mown someone down, it was… I can't even begin to explain it, but I missed it, I missed it all. So, I decided to do some research. You wouldn't believe the information I could get Annie, in seconds, anything you want to know at my fingertips."_

_He looked up at me finally and there was such sadness. I just wanted to hold him, make the pain go away. _

"_I wanted to be close to you. Does that sound mad?"_

_I shook my head. _

"_So I decided to find you. Ok, you'd be thirty three years older, probably married with a couple of kids, I didn't even want to speak to you and disrupt your life, I just wanted to know you were there, you know?"_

_I tried to imagine it. Sam turning up on my doorstep in the future looking just as he did the last time I saw him. _

"_I'd have probably had a heart attack." I said._

_Despite everything Sam gave a slight smile. "Probably." He hesitated._

"_Don't you dare lie to me Sam Tyler. I was fat wasn't I?" _

_That should have made him laugh, it didn't. We sat in silence._

"_So you wanted to see if I was ok?"_

_He didn't say anything._

"_I wasn't ok was I?_

_There was a slight shake of the head. "I wasn't there that day, or rather I was but I was four years old. I saw it happen, I couldn't do anything! My mind just blocked it out. There were reports…"_

"_Your father…?"_

"_That's why he disappeared. He attacked and killed the policewoman who was trying to arrest him. They never found him Annie, I never found him. You were just like me Annie, something happened to you and you came here. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you!" He put his head in his hands._

_What a thing to have to take in. I just stared about me, completely speechless._

"_Say something?" He pleaded._

"_Um... I feel remarkably well… considering I'm apparently dead."_

* * *

><p>Alex barrelled into DCI Gene Hunts office her arms full of diaries. They hit the desk with a hard thump as she dropped them.<p>

Hunt looked over his newspaper in surprise, he glanced at the diaries then back to his DI questioningly.

Closing the door Alex leaned forward with her hands on the desk. "You didn't kill Sam Tyler."

Slowly taking his feet off the desk and folding his paper Gene stared at her. "There's a relief." He appeared amiable, but it was just an act. "Strangely enough Bolly, I already bloody knew that!"

"But I can prove it."

"So can I by very virtue of the fact I didn't soddin' kill him. Don't get me wrong, he could be an annoying little sanctimonious, smug git and I may have wanted to sometimes, but I didn't. I can't believe you thought I did!"

"It was all a bit fishy Guv, you've got to admit?"

"Oh I've got to admit that have I flash knickers? Why the hell are you still investigating Sam Tyler, apart from proving to me the bleedin' obvious?"

"Which is?"

"You're even more friggin' annoying and stubborn than he was."

Alex ignored the comment. She tapped the top diary. "Sam Tyler didn't die in the accident."

Hunt put a fag in his mouth and lit it. "Something else I already knew, he was alive and well last time I saw him."

"Did you also know Keats went to see Annie on the day of the funeral?"

Genes' eyes narrowed. "That pencil neck tosser, what did he have to do with anything?"

"He told her Sam was working with D&C, that he was investigating your department."

Gene shook his head.

"I know he wasn't. It's all in here." Alex tapped the diary. "Why Sam was acting strangely. He was trying to protect you Guv."

Alex opened the book at the page she'd marked.

"What's this, The secret diary of Alex Drake. Got up, was bloody irritating, went to bed?"

"Better, these are Annies' diaries. She wrote down everything. Listen to this."

_4__th__ December 1979_

_I'm not sure how much of this I can take. Gene came by this morning. I was giving Alice some milk and rusks when his head popped round the kitchen door. Alice immediately gurgled and held out a biscuit to him._

"_No thanks little lady, I've just put one out."_

_She giggled and promptly dropped half the rusk in her milk. _

"_Sams' in work." I said, slightly confused as I fished it out._

"_I know, it was you I wanted to talk to Cartwright."_

"_Me?" I couldn't imagine what the Guv wanted me for. He sat down at the table next to Alice. "Coffee?"_

_He took out his hip flask and waved it at me. I was guessing that meant no. "Have you noticed Sam acting strange?" _

_I busied myself with the kettle. "You mean stranger than normal?"_

"_Strange even for Sammy-boy."_

"_Not particularly. You know what he's like when he gets a bee in his bonnet over something, it's probably just a case."_

_Gene shook his head. "This is different. This is a whole new level of Sam Tyler crazy. He's working on something and the stubborn twonk won't let me in on it."_

"_I don't know… I'm sorry. Have you tried asking him or is that a silly question?"_

"_Oh I've asked him, I've even threatened to beat ten bags of shit out of him…"_

"_Shit!" Alice said waving her soggy biscuit happily. _

_Gene looked away but I could see he was grinning._

"_Oh great, of all the words to learn Alice."_

"_Shit, shit, shit…" She trilled happily._

"_That's a bad word Alice, and Uncle Gene shouldn't use it in front of you."_

_I frowned at the Guv, but he couldn't hold back his laughter any more. Ruffling her hair he got up. "You'll go far little lady." He pointed at me, "Annie, keep an eye on him eh?" And then he was gone."_

Alex closed the diary. Gene was smiling, it was a genuine smile.

"You told me Alice was dead." She said accusingly.

"**You** told **me** you were going to leave the Sam Tyler thing alone." He countered.

Drake sighed. "You were very fond of her weren't you?" She said softly.

Gene nodded. "Of course, but like all bloody females, she was a lot easier to deal with before she learnt to talk."


	24. Pieces of the Puzzle

"You promised to take care of her didn't you? What happened to her?" Alex asked.

It was almost as though a shutter came down. "How should I know?" He shrugged.

"Because you said to me once, 'I was needed so I was there' when my parents... when the Prices'..." She choked back a sob. "When the car exploded... You know what happened to Alice you wouldn't just abandon her."

"I don't want to talk about it. Just get on with this bloody story... you don't get this trouble with Jackanory..."

"Guv, did something happen to Alice... something you couldn't save her from?"

He pointed vigorously at the diaries, his lips firmly closed.

Realising she was going to get no further she resumed reading.

_20__th__ November 1979_

_I was becoming used to odd things happening. It wasn't even surprising anymore. Seeing as… well according to Sam... in his timeline I had died, not much else could freak me out after that. When you've spent over seven years living effectively with a crazy person, a crazy person mind you, who can prove that what they are saying is true, you think nothing is going to frighten you. I was wrong._

_I was at home with Alice as usual. The radio was on, nothing odd about that. It crackled with static. Then it started. The voice was male, a southern accent, London maybe. It started to sing, an old childrens rhyme we used to chant at school. Despite the singsong delivery this voice didn't sound friendly._

"_Sam and Annie, sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G._

_First comes love, then comes marriage,_

_Then comes baby in a baby carriage."_

_The television joined in, and the stereo. It was getting louder and louder, over and over again it sang. I ran around the house pulling out plugs, but it still continued. The phone rang. 'Sam.' I thought, but it was just another addition to the hideous choir. I threw the receiver away from me, the voices joined together, becoming more and more accusing. I put my hands over my ears as they became deafening. Alice began to cry, her voice joining the din. Eventually I had enough. I grabbed my daughter and without even stopping to lock the door, I ran out of the house._

* * *

><p>"<em>Tyler!" <em>

_I was just so grateful Sam was at his desk. Huddled in the phone box I tried to explain what had happened but in my panic the words were just getting tied up._

"_Take a deep breath and start again from the beginning." He said trying to calm me._

"_Chanting… in the house… horrible… I can't go back in there." I managed to gasp._

"_Tyler get off that bleedin' phone." I heard the Guv in the background._

_Sam must have put his hand over the speaker but I could still hear what was being said. "It's Annie. She um… spider… enormous spider in the bath. I just need to go… I'll be half an hour."_

"_It may have escaped your notice but we are trying to run a murder investigation here Dorothy. The dozy mare was a bleedin plonk for gods' sake… she should be able to deal with one small eight legged bastard. Tell her to hit it with a shoe."_

"_Alice is apparently screaming the place down."_

_I could imagine the look on Genes' face, he would not have been happy, but Sam knew he would relent on Alices' behalf. "Oh go on then. But if you are not back in this office in exactly twenty nine minutes I will personally take what little bollocks you have left and stuff them down your pathetic, nancy-boy, throat. Understood?"_

"_Stay where you are, I'll be right there." Sam said into the receiver._

* * *

><p><em>We stood outside the house. "Anything?" Sam asked.<em>

"_No."_

_Through experience we both realised that hearing and seeing stuff was very much a solitary occupation. As we searched inside everything was normal. I began to feel embarrassed having called Sam away from work._

"_Don't worry about it." He said as if he could read my mind. "As soon as the pub's open they'll be out of the office like a shot anyway."_

_That did make me smile. _

"_It was different this time. Everything else has been… well… unsettling, but not hostile. This was… it was as though the voices were taunting me."_

"_It's something to do with us." Sam put his hands on my shoulders. "That rhyme. There's something else as well. I had a phone call today from Scotland Yard. Some DCI called Keats. Apparently they have been investigating the Guv; they reckon he's up to his old tricks."_

"_Such as?"_

"_Looking the other way, backhanders, giving out a few slaps... murder."_

"_Murder? No! What do you think?"_

_Sam shrugged. "He aint exactly Mother Teresa… but no, I don't think he's bent, and I certainly don't think he's a killer. They want me to look into some allegations."_

"_You think they are out to get him?"_

"_I think the force is changing and the old style coppers like Gene are going to find it very hard if they're not prepared to change. Some people would prefer it if he went away permanently."_

"_Why you?"_

"_Funnily enough I asked Keats the same question. He said, 'You once almost succeeded single handedly in cutting out the cancer that is Gene Hunt.' Apparently my reputation as a pedantic, picky pain in the arse has spread to Scotland Yard?" Sam smiled, but there was no humour in it. "Anyway, he said 'that investigation was handled badly. Now we have everything we need. Once you see the evidence you can make your own choice, but I think you will see things our way.' He then went on to say what a good copper I was… yatter, yatter, and something very odd, he said my input would be the key…"_

"_Key?"_

"_He wants me to move to his department, part of a task force for cleaning up policing."_

"_You won't though?"_

"_It was tempting. If Genes' clean he's got nothing to worry about, I still sometimes find the Guvs' methods a bit brutal even after all this time…"He looked at his watch. "Oh, speaking of time. You're ok now?"_

"_Yes, I shouldn't have panicked but it was… thank you."_

"_No problem." He kissed me on the cheek. "I'll see you later."_

* * *

><p><em>Alone in the house I didn't feel quite so confident. I spent the next hour jumping at every noise. 'Pull yourself together you dozy plonk.' I muttered to myself. 'Bad enough CID now thinks you're scared of spiders, no reason to be spooked by your own shadow.'<em>

_I was worried though. Although I realised that Sam wouldn't betray 'A' division, there was a part of me that knew if he was confronted with enough concrete evidence his conscience wouldn't let him ignore it._

"What did Keats have on you Gene?" Alex asked.

"Nothing… I was white as the bleedin' snow. Tyler made sure of that. He could smell it if someone so much as farted out line. It was like having St Francis of a-bloody-sisi in the office."

"From what I've read he wasn't averse to bending the rules Guv?"

"You see that's the difference. We bent the rules, we got the job done, but that was it. There was a line, we didn't cross it."

"But who drew the line Gene? Because Keats seemed to think you'd crossed it."

"Well clearly he couldn't prove it could he or he wouldn't be hanging around here like a rotting piece of meat in the midday sun?"

"You didn't know he had investigated you before?"

Hunt looked at her incredulously. "Don't you think I would have bloody mentioned it?"

They both stared at the stack of diaries in silence for several minutes.

"Is there anything juicy in there?" Gene said eventually nodding to the books

"Juicy?"

"You know, **juicy**?" Hunt waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Alex sighed in despair. "Gene… really?"

"It might brighten up the rest of the afternoon?" He said cheerfully. "All been a bit doom and gloom so far…"

Drake shook her head. "With everything that is going on, that is all you can think about…?"

Hunt shrugged. "Sometimes Bollykecks you really are no fun… Go on."

_30__th__ November 1979_

_By the law of averages I suppose it was going to happen, we would have a joint experience._

"Now we're talking." Hunt rubbed his hands together.

"Shut up Gene." Alex snapped.

_ I was upstairs putting Alice to bed; Sam was working in the kitchen. When Alice was first born Sam came up with this idea of having a transmitter in her room. It was pretty much the same sort of thing that we used for surveillance but it did mean that I could be downstairs and still hear what she was doing. I thought it was brilliant._

"A baby monitor." Alex explained to Gene.

"Why would anyone want to listen to a baby? They don't do anything interesting, now if you wanted to put it in next doors bedroom…"

Alex rolled her eyes. 'Never mind.'

_So I was in her room when the transmitter started whistling. It did that sometimes so I tapped it same as I always did. _

"_What can I get you Mon Brav?" Clear as day. That was definitely Nelson. I thought for a moment that a transmitter had been left in the pub, but we were too far away to ever pick up a signal. _

_There was a clink of glasses. _

"_There is a time and a place for everybody pal, everybody has their time, everybody has their place." It was still Nelson but now he had dropped the Jamaican accent. "Sometimes the ones you love have to find their own way, alone. You have to let them go to be whoever they are going to be."_

_I grabbed the transmitter and rushed down the stairs._

"_Sam!" I yelled, "I just heard…"_

_I didn't need to say anymore. He was standing by the worktop staring at the receiver in his hands. _

"_So did I?"_

"_It didn't sound like Nelson." I said._

_Sam shook his head. "The punters prefer the other Nelson."_

"_What?"_

"_Never mind… any idea what it means?"_

"_No, but I'm going to find out!" I picked up my coat. "If he knows something about this…"_

"_It won't help, he never knows what he means."_

"_I'm going to ask him anyway." _

_Alice was soon wrapped in a blanket and tucked into her buggy as we walked towards the Railway arms._

"_Annie this is pointless." Sam said. "Trust me, Nelson is the king of the ambiguous."_

_When we got there, I didn't even think, I just went straight in… with Alice in my arms._

"_Whoa, whoa… whoa!" Nelson said holding his hands out in front of him as if I was holding a grenade. "You can't bring the short stuff in 'ere… isa pub!"_

"_I want to know…" I demanded._

"_Mon Brav?" Nelson gestured towards me and the baby appealing for Sam to intervene. _

"_Take Alice outside Annie."_

"_But."_

"_I am not arguing…" He said through gritted teeth. "You can not bring a baby into a pub, wait outside… please!"_

_In the end it achieved nothing. Nelson was far too rattled that I'd taken Alice in, I mean they let dogs into pubs for goodness sake. When Sam came out he shook his head. I told you, he knows nothing._

"This is what I meant. He'd been acting strange." Gene said as if this explained everything.

Alex continued.

_1__st__ December 1979_

_It's crazy. I mean beyond crazy. Sam is completely obsessed with checking and double checking the information in Keats' file. _

"_How's it looking?" I asked after he'd spent yet another evening with paperwork spread all over the kitchen table. He put his arm around my waist and pulled me onto his lap, his head resting against my shoulder._

"_What I wouldn't give for a laptop... you'll have to do."_

_I stroked his hair. "And what can this 'laptop' to do to help?"_

"_That's a good start." He said nuzzling against my hand. "But if you really want to help with this lot. Have a look at this."_

_There were five reports in all. "I think I know what Keats is up to." He said._

_I moved onto a chair and opened the first one. It was a detailed documentation of what had happened to Sam in 2006. Dates, times, circumstances and photographs, the lot. I looked at him questioningly. _

Alex looked up at Gene. She expected some kind of surprise. There was none, he just sat staring at her through a fug of cigarette smoke.

"You don't think it's odd that Sam thought he was from 2006?" She asked.

"You dragged all this up Bolly. Go on."

Alex hesitated.

"Go ON!"

_There was also a coroners report. Final verdict…_

"_Suicide?" I asked looking at Sam in amazement._

_He scrunched his nose. "I don't think they could really say I leapt from the top of a police station by accident, although to be fair I suspect hitting the ground did the damage."_

"_I know… it's just seeing it written down, on a report… Did it… did it hurt?"_

"_It's not something I'd want to do again in a hurry let's put it that way."_

_I read through the rest of Sams' report. "What has this got to do with Gene?"_

"_All that stuff about having evidence. It was to get me to look through these files. I found these at the bottom."_

"_So?"_

"_I forgot it all. Yeah? It was only the fact that you write everything down… and Maya…"_

_He swallowed. "That was the only reason why I eventually remembered. Presumably Keats didn't realise that. Imagine the shock if I hadn't already known? He thought I would see these and feel morally outraged. I would have felt obliged to reveal everything, he's clever Annie, he's studied me. That's why I'm the key."_

"_Do you think Gene knows?"_

"_I don't know, I shouldn't think so."_

_Opening another file I was slightly shocked to see my own picture staring back at me. There were the inevitable statements, photographs and pathologists report. I read it all. When I looked up Sam was watching me carefully his face full of concern._

"_It's ok… really." I said trying to smile. "It's not like I haven't had a chance to get used to the idea."_

"_I know but…"_

_Opening the other files my eyes filled up with tears. "Oh no!"_

_Sam took my hand. "I'm afraid so… I'm sorry."_

"_All of them?"_

_He nodded._

"_What about Alice?" The thought suddenly occurred to me. "If you and I are…"_

"_Dead."_

"_Well I didn't want to put it that bluntly, but yes. How… does it mean she's dead too?"_

_Sam shook his head. "I really don't know. She can't be."_

_I clicked my fingers. "It shouldn't have happened! That's what the woman said on the television, it shouldn't have happened; it's the key to everything. Then there was that creepy rhyme that scared the life out of me. What if you're not the only key… what if Alice is mixed up in this somehow?"_

"_Alice?" He asked confused._

"_Explain to me how two people who are technically deceased can produce a baby?"_

_Sam looked astonished. "It shouldn't have happened…"_


	25. Thank you and Goodnight

**A/N Well here it is, the final chapter. I would like to say a huge thank you to DanaCartwright, HairMetalQueen-DI-Master-Tyler, zipmfxritt and Elliewellie for taking the time to review and encourage. Without them this wouldn't have happened. I hope it lives up to your expectations guys.**

**A/N2 Apologies to A2A fans. I did say in order for my story to work I would need to go off canon. Sorry but it is a LOM story.**

**A/N3 I should warn you this contains a kind of spoiler for A2A finale... although it doesn't really end this way... Only in my head.**

**Ok I'll shut up. Ta daaaaa!**

* * *

><p>"I can't go in there Gene." Alex said. She was trying not to cry. Ray, Shaz and Chris had already gone into the Railway Arms. It stood behind them, despite herself Drake felt it calling to her. She knew what this meant, it was time to go... she didn't want to go.<p>

Keats had revealed everything to the others, he'd popped the bubble that the Guv had wound around them all, ripped open the office to reveal the stars beyond and now there was nothing left.

He looked at her sadly

"I can help you, you need me…" She tried.

"It's time."

"What about Annie? She went with Keats!" Alex said suddenly. "I can help you find her, her and Alice?"

Gene shook his head and pointed towards the pub.

_It was a tableau, a reflection, a vision of the past like a grainy home movie. Another Gene stood in front of them his hands in the pockets of his Camel coat. From the shadows emerged a couple, the man carrying a little girl. Alex recognised them as Sam and Annie. Stopping Sam kissed his daughter. _

_"You be a good girl" He said as he handed her to his wife and pointed to Gene. "Never take any shit from this man." _

_"Shit." Alice said happily._

_Taking off his jacket, Sam held it out to the Guv._

_"What's this?" Gene asked looking at it._

_"It's evidence."_

_"I don't want it!"_

_"Yes you do."_

_"No I don't."_

_"Take it."_

_"I don't want it."_

_"Just take the bloody thing or someone is gonna be asking for it, it's procedure!"_

_The Guv rolled his eyes before accepting the battered leather jacket. "You never bloody give up do you?"_

_Sam smiled. He held out his hand._

_"Gene… it's been… insane."_

_The Guv took his hand and shook it, suddenly pulling the younger man forward into a bear hug._

_"Don't come over all bloody Dorothy on me now." Sam said laughing as he returned the gesture._

_"Piss off Tyler." Gene retorted as they separated._

_Sam gave a crooked smile, there was sadness in it. "Alright then… I will."_

_Annie held on to her daughter as if her life depended on it. Alice on the other hand was reaching out for Gene._

_"Cartwright?" The Guv said holding out his arms for the squirming child._

_Annie glanced at Sam uncertainly. _

_"It's got to be this way. You know that." He said quietly. "You can feel it the same way I can, it's time to go."_

_She took a deep breath and handed the little girl into the care of DCI Hunt._

_"You promised…" She started._

_Hunt nodded. "With my life Annie luv."_

_Reaching up Annie kissed Gene on the cheek. "Thank you. I have this… for safe keeping…" She handed Gene a buff envelope which he slipped into his pocket. Finally she turned to Alice and kissing her said. "Remember we love you sweetheart." Alice gurgled happily._

_"You ready?" Sam asked his wife._

_She nodded, there were tears in her eyes. He took her hand as they turned and walked towards the bright lights of the Railway Arms. For one brief moment they stood in the glow and glanced back. Sam gave a single wave which the Guv returned. And then they were gone._

* * *

><p>Alex blinked back her own tears. "You took Alice?"<p>

"She couldn't go with them, not where they were going. She had a life to live. They knew that, they had to let her go."

"But how... if it was impossible...?"

"I don't know. Tyler liked to do the bloody impossible, smug bastard." Hunt said gruffly.

"Guv?"

Gene looked at his shoes before meeting her gaze. "Sometimes when there is that much love between two souls, the impossible happens."

Looking slightly awkward he reached into his pocket and handed her an envelope. It was battered and crinkled but she recognised it as the one given to Hunt for safe keeping.

"You may as well finish the story." He said.

Greedily ripping open the end Alex pulled out a bundle of papers. She recognised them as the missing pages from Annies diary. The date had been altered from 3rd January to the 2nd, it was written shakily, as if the author had been trying to write in a car.

_2nd January 1980._

_My heart was pounding like a base drum as I got into Keats' car._

_"Ready?" he asked, there was almost something gleeful about it._

_He smiled at Alice. "That's a nice bear. What's his name?"_

_My daughter just glared back at the DCI._

_"This is Bo-bo isn't he Alice? We never go anywhere without Bo-bo." I said brightly._

_"DI Tyler is a very lucky man to have such a family."_

_I smiled bashfully. "Where are we going?"_

_"To my office."_

_"We're going to London?" I asked unable to keep the uncertainty out of my voice._

_He smiled, neither confirming or denying. "It won't take too long, and then everything will be as it should be."_

_I mentally tried to work out the route. "If we go along Parsons' lane we'll get to the motorway quicker." I said helpfully._

_"Then that is the way we'll go." He started the car and pulled out._

_I tried to make conversation, giving directions, telling Keats about various landmarks along the route, gabbling about places Sam and I had been as we passed them, or bits of history about this factory or that building. I just had to keep talking._

_As we turned into Parsons' lane I squeezed Alice tighter. She had been glaring at the DCI over the top of Bo-bo ever since we got into the car. She looked up at me as if questioning the extra pressure. I was bracing myself._

_Parsons' lane is dark, flanked either side by dense trees, it's also reasonably bendy so building up any kind of speed is difficult. Keats took his time. It was just as well because the car suddenly hit something in the road, it skidded sideways before coming to a juddering halt._

_"What the…? Stay here." Keats got out of the car, I followed._

_"I said stay in the car!" He almost screamed at me. He was panicked. "We don't know what it is… It could be Hunt..."_

_The figure was silhouetted against the street lamps as it bent to drag something out of the road._

_"Stringer." I said automatically._

_"Stinger." Sam corrected me as he walked slowly towards us, his face finally visible in the light. His jaw was set in grim determination._

_All I wanted to do was run to him, throw my arms around him and never ever ever let him out of my sight again. But that wasn't part of the plan._

_Sam knew that Keats would never give up until Gene Hunts' world was completely destroyed, he also knew that the DCI would use any means possible to manipulate Sam to that end. Because we knew... we knew what had happened to us, we couldn't stay, it was too dangerous, the time had come to move on._

* * *

><p>"Annie was in on it?" Alex said in surprise.<p>

"She was very good at undercover." Hunt replied. "Something very unsettling about a bird who can lie that well."

"But Sam had known, he had been here, he stayed here knowing all along..."

"He forgot, they all forget. As soon as the truth is revealed it's pub time."

Alex returned to the page.

_"Tyler…?" Keats was dumfounded. "Sam…" Thinking fast he tried to turn it around._

_"We found out that Hunt had failed, I was just taking Annie and the little girl into protective custody… until you were ready to bring Hunt down…"_

_"I will never be ready for that." Sam said beckoning to me. I edged my way around Keats, Alice tucked on my hip, Sams' jacket in the other hand._

_"You read the file… you know what he's done… he lied to you, he lied to you all…"_

_Sam shrugged and made a face which could only be described as 'whatever'. "He never lied to me." _

_Sam was almost in my reach. Keats suddenly noticed my movement and lunged sideways grabbing my hair and pulling me towards him. Still holding Alice I could hardly fight back._

_"Think of your family Tyler." Keats' other hand gripped Alices' arm. "This little girl, the little girl who was never meant to be. Hunt will take all of that away from you; he didn't want you to be a father…"_

_"But I am… I will always be her daddy." Sam replied just as Alice bit hard into Keats finger, he screamed in pain and let go of us both. "That's my girl." Sam smirked as I ran to him._

_"You both ok?" He asked me. I nodded._

_"You can't throw it all away…" Keats was desperate. "He's got to you Tyler, I understand… but we can make it better, you can still join us, we can still destroy this… abomination."_

_Keats almost staggered towards us, Sam stepped forward blocking his path, protecting us. The taller man was hunched, holding onto his hand. There was blood seeping through his fingers._

_"I don't think so." Sam said as his fist connected with Keats face. The DCI crumpled to the ground, unconscious. _

_Sam turned to us, flexing his hand. "Let's get out of here."_

* * *

><p><em>Sam had parked the car a way along the lane. It wasn't a vehicle I recognised.<em>

_"Where did this come from?" I asked._

_"I borrowed it." He said simply opening the door so I could put Alice inside._

_"Borrowed it?"_

_"It was sitting there with the keys in… I borrowed it."_

_"Sam Tyler, you stole it!" I laughed. I felt giddy, we were together again. I was almost afraid to touch him in case he disappeared._

_He came towards me placing his hands either side of my face, his thumb caressing my cheek. I trembled at his touch. "Are you really just going to stand there and lecture me?" He whispered._

_I stared into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity, I wanted to memorise every part of him. Pulling me forward his nose rubbed against mine. By habit my arms snaked around his back as our lips met in a long, passionate kiss._

_"God I've missed you." He nuzzled into my neck._

_"I've missed you too."_

_"Gaddy." Said Alices' voice from Sam's pocket. He retrieved the transmitter and waved it._

_"I loved the blow by blow account of the journey by the way, very Judith Chalmers."_

_It made me giggle, but then at that point anything would have done. I was so happy._

_The conversations I'd had with that bear. Before Sam left he moved the transmitter inside Bo-bo so that he could stay in touch with what was going on. It was too dangerous to contact me, we couldn't be sure who was watching or listening, but knowing he could at least hear me was a comfort. To the outside world it would just be the ramblings of a grief stricken widow. In the car, I had wanted to make sure he knew exactly where we were going so he could intercept, hence the blow by blow account._

_Sam shrugged on his jacket, grinning happily. "That's better; I feel more like me now."_

_Stroking the scuffed lapel I smiled. Another one of Sams' ideas. When Gene came to tell me the news, if he gave me Sams' jacket then I would know that he was ok, even 'this' leather jackets could not survive a car fire. _

_"What did you feel like before?" I asked._

_"Without you… a lost soul." He kissed my nose. "Ready?"_

_I took a deep breath. "Not really, but as ready as I'm going to get."_

Alex flipped over the paper. "That's it… there's no more!"

"You've already seen the end Bolly, now it's your turn."

Resigned, Drake turned to walk away and stopped. "It wasn't your fault you know." She said quietly.

"What wasn't?"

"You couldn't prevent me being shot... in 2008, there was nothing you could have done." She turned back and looked him in the eye.

Hunt sighed and shook his head. "Age caught up with me."

"The Gene Genie? Never!"

He gave a slight smile.

"You brought me here. So you could protect me, and you did. Thank you."

"Would have been a sight bloody easier if you'd become a soddin' hairdresser or something." Gene sniped.

Alex placed her hands either side of his head and kissed him gently. "Goodbye Guv."

Gene Hunt watched her walk towards the Railway arms as he had watched so many others. He still had a job to do, but sometimes it was bloody hard.

She stopped and waved before opening the door.

"Goodbye Alice." He said, before sighing and turning back into the night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Finally. Thank you for reading. Your thoughts would be appreciated, it helps to improve my writing. So love it or hate it? Thanks.**


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